Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky
by Ms Bat
Summary: It's not everyday that a dragon decides to drop in unexpectedly to see a certain wizard. As the trying politics of the spirit world comes to a head, Haku will have to do everything to keep the peace between the human and spirit worlds. HakuxChihiro
1. New Beginnings

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

**A/N**: This occurs three years after the events of _Learning to Let Go,_ which is a **_Ponyo_** one shot. While this fic may be read on its own, the short fic sheds light on the background of certain relations between the characters. The crossovers in this fic get a lot tighter but I am assuming most people have watched _**Ponyo**_. But I could be wrong and it'll be unfair to those who haven't, and I would certainly like to hear from you what you think.

Criticisms and suggestions are welcome.

* * *

The boy-dragon looked down into the shimmering depths of the unseen river. A long time ago, when he first woke, this place had been a plain, a small rivulet running through it and nourishing the green grass that grew on its banks. That little stream of water had cut gradually into the earth, and over a long time, became the first running river he had once called home. It had been filled in, of course, but he hadn't really grieved when that had occurred. There had been many homeless spirits before him, and it wouldn't be possible, in any case, to truly mourn something which morphed constantly. As with so many other things, _home_ was a notion he carried within himself; it was wherever he was. _No river runs through the same place twice_. Each return was both familiar and unfamiliar. He opened his eyes, took a deep breath and stepped through the heavy doorway before him…

The empty alcove was cramped without the way in which the guard was staring narrowly at him. There was a musty smell and the heavy velvet curtain with the frilled edge draped in a way that was completely suffocating for an aesthetic device.

"They say you're a dragon," the guard said in a tone that implied this was somehow Haku's fault.

"Yes, biologically speaking," he answered politely. The robes he was wearing were made of heavy winter material, made all the more unbearable by a tight mandarin collar. He tugged at it discreetly. Official council robes were terribly stifling normally without him stuck in the tiny waiting area. The guard's frown increased and he drummed his fingers impatiently on the table.

"And that you was trained by Zeniba. Lucky bugger aren't you?"

He smiled fondly, remembering their first meeting. It could hardly be called a fortuitous one since he had been escaping with her stolen seal. "Very."

"Huh."

If the Council didn't summon him soon, the guard might actually pop a vein – literally. As it was, the stocky man's short temper wasn't being improved by being in the same room with him.

"First time surrounded by so many wizards eh? From what I gather, you didn't get around much," he remarked in a goading sort of way.

This was true. Zeniba had kept an extremely strict eye on him but that didn't mean he hadn't learnt how to escape her attention. Nor was he so young that he hadn't gotten around some before becoming her apprentice.

"You seem to know a lot," Haku answered blandly, carefully deflecting the man's interrogation.

"Word gets around, boy," he growled, puffing up smugly. "And you're the talk of the town for the moment."

So there was a grapevine. He'd always suspected the Council guards knew more than they let on.

"If I were you, boy, I won't let that get to my head. You remember who we're going to be at war with if this don't go right. Oi. You hear me boy?"

Haku ducked his head modestly. "No sir, yes sir," he said in the same meek tone. The guard eyed him suspiciously for a second and then turned away, offended.

"If you're going to be like that, I doubt you'll last three minutes in front of _any_ wizard, let alone a Council member _or_ an elder dragon."

When Haku continued to remain politely blank-faced, the guard finally gave up and went back to sit at the desk and tapped his foot loudly. "_Will_ they hurry it up?" he muttered.

A gong sounded distantly and the guard got up from his chair eagerly. Craning his neck out behind the curtain he nodded at someone outside. "There's your cue," he grunted as Haku got up as well. The guard was still scowling at him as he twitched aside the curtain. "Can't think why they want to talk to a deserter from the dragon coven."

"That's what I'm here to find out too," he answered, smiling grimly.

* * *

Men were so stupid, and the male representatives of the Wizard's Council were no exception. In fact, Yubaba thought, given how puffed up their egos were, it was no surprise they were making little headway. She glowered pointedly at _Lord_ Raiden who was seated across her. Someone definitely had been putting on airs. Just because his adeptness with lightning made him a powerful spirit didn't make him a _lord_. She caught her sister watching her with a bemused grin. _Speak for yourself_, she mouthed from Lord Raiden's left side. The portly spirit whom Lord Raiden had been speaking to rapped the table for attention.

"I say that we issue an ultimatum. Why should the dragons throw their weight about on this matter? After all, they aren't the _only_ beings capable of magic in this realm. We must fight back, if only for our dignity!"

He had barely ended his speech when the meeting broke into a discord of indignant voices.

Yubaba snorted. "A fat lot of good that would do us."

The spirit who had spoken frowned. "And what do you mean by that?" he asked coldly.

"I'm saying you'll blight your own mother's name if you thought she did something against you," she groused, sticking her knobby chin out daringly.

"Why you old witch…"

Lord Raiden put up his hand. "If I may speak," he interrupted smoothly. "The real issue is that time is pressing. The dragons have issued _their_ ultimatum, which is that the Council produce the missing weapon or they will withdraw all magical support from our joint dealings, which…is a lot," he added, eyeing a scroll which he had unfurled.

"They can't mean it," Master Gen, the portly spirit said.

"They do, and they rightly have a reason for behaving thus; they believe we stole their most powerful weapon."

"Huh! Whatever their motive, they seem insistent on stirring up trouble."

"Which is why I suggested we send a representative to speak to them." Zeniba piped in. Master Gen looked scornful at the very idea.

"And who do you have in mind who has the slightest chance of standing up to the Ryuu-shi? Only another dragon could possibly…" He stared at her as the underlying implication of her suggestion dawned on them. "Ridiculous!"

He stood up and thumped the table violently.

"Absurd! Think of the risk involved!"

"You'll send that apprentice of yours? Why, it's been nothing but pure graciousness on the part of this council that he hasn't been put into prison! And you want him to speak to his kind for us?" Master Gen growled.

"It's because he is, as you so crudely put it, "his kind" that there is any hope of getting the dragons to face us directly in talks."

"It's true," Master Hanamori spoke. "They won't ignore one of their own kind. Particularly since…" the wizard cleared her throat. "It isn't quite right for me to say it."

Zeniba leaned forward, steepling her fingers under her substantial chin. "You mean particularly a dragon who's been trained by a Council wizard in our arts?" she replied archly. The elegant wizard coloured faintly.

Lord Gen cleared his throat. "If you put it that way," he huffed, "then yes, we're saying you should just have sent it on its way instead of mollycoddling it. Women!"

He glowered resentfully back as several other pairs of female eyes turned on him. Master Hanamori cleared her throat primly. "It is not that I do not condone your actions, but given the circumstances, you might have acted more prudently, Zeniba."

"His skills were being wasted," Zeniba answered. "Someone had to take him in hand. And everyone knows what sort of mischief, voluntary or otherwise young, untrained magic users can be."

Yubaba rolled her eyes. "Are you saying I did a bad job?"

"You certainly didn't do a good one," her sister retorted. "Encouraging theft, and from a fellow council member!"

Before Yubaba could rebuke however, Akihi, the youngest wizard on the council had jumped up. "Why don't we simply let him decide?" he suggested. "He should be allowed to choose his commitments."

There was a murmur at this. Yubaba frowned. "But would the boy come here?"

"He is already here," Lord Raiden said and nodded to the blond page. "Send for him please." Master Gen turned back to Zeniba in horror as murmuring broke in a hushed wave around them. "You let your _dragon_ apprentice in?! How could you!"

"As if I could have stopped him," she grumbled as he walked into the middle of the floor.

* * *

Haku found himself being surveyed from head to toe. The obnoxiously high collar chafed at him as he bowed before the preceding wizard. The rising murmur that had accompanied his entrance died away as all nine members regarded him. Though he wasn't facing her, he could feel Yubaba's stare especially burning into his back. Well. It had been a while after all since he met his former mistress, and his presence in the Council's first meeting regarding the Coven hadn't been expected after all. Zeniba's tea cup clinked judiciously as he straightened back up. Master Gen coughed. "To business," he said purposefully. "What do you know of the _Enabler of a Thousand Desires_?"

Haku was unperturbed by the blunt questioning. Yubaba had tended not to explain her motives when he had worked for her either. "I have not seen it myself but to my knowledge, it was forged by the dragon-wizards as a wish-granting object to surpass all other such magical items."

He looked steadily at the earth elemental wizard. "It could revive the dead. Heal instantly the injured, confer knowledge…" Pausing midsentence, his attention shifted slightly to the chair wizard on Master Gen's right. "To one who calls himself _lord_, it could easily elevate you to an emperor and true manipulator the very fabric of space itself. The laws of physics would become pudding in the hands of such a creature." Lord Raiden smiled thinly at the veiled insult. "A dangerous object," he murmured silkily.

Master Gen mopped his sweating brow. "Yes, yes, no need to go into details," he said hastily. "We all know how powerful the dragon's legendary weapon is."

"No, I think you quite fail to understand what I mean Gen-shi. The _Enabler_ is a weapon insofar as its wielder desires it. Greed, the desire for more power, could turn it towards destructive uses. It doesn't hold any power intrinsically. For this reason, it needs to be retrieved quickly before _anyone_ gets hold of it. That is, assuming that it hadn't been stolen, but which according to the coven it already has been. We can then assume that whoever has hold of it would likely be a threat to both the council and coven."

Under his solemn gaze, the earth wizard squirmed uncomfortably.

"Does anyone else need further clarification?" he asked softly, his eyes travelling over each of their faces.

Although he'd grown some since he'd left the bathhouse but compared to the distinguished wizards before him, he was still young. Most of them were greying at the temples and beards, one of them, the venerable tree spirit of the West, the _Nishi no Kusunoki _had a full on white beard that swept over his plain brown robes. On the other end of the spectrum, the youngest of them looked to be only a few years older than he was. And, judging by the looks of Master Akihi's dazzling white and crimson robe, he was already a formidable elemental specialist dealing in fire. But more importantly, he found himself liking Akihi's friendly, open face.

"Yes?" he asked, bowing slightly when the fire elemental raised his hand.

"I've a question – it may seem impertinent, and I hope you'll forgive my-

"Oh stop maudlin and get on with it young man!" Yubaba barked.

The young man reddened. "I mean, what does the Enabler of a Thousand Desires look like?"

"I've never seen it myself," Haku admitted. "Though, based on what I've heard about it's forging, it most likely has no fixed shape but reflects the appearance of whatever it is its wielder desires most strongly. I believe popular shapes it has manifested historically are things like crowns or books and weapons like swords and even guns."

A female wizard spoke, "But then, child, the perpretrator must have known of this in advance; for how do you steal something if you don't even know what it looks like?"

"Well, we'll find out when we catch him, and for that, we'll need the cooperation of the dragons," Zeniba interjected smoothly.

Lord Gen rolled his eyes. "Not _that_ again," he muttered sourly. "The Ryuu-shi is hard to please."

"Which is why we need somebody who _can_ speak to the Dragon Master," Yubaba interrupted. "Not that I _want _to agree with my sister but Haku _is_ our best shot if we don't want an all out war with the dragons," she added, and threw Zeniba an accusatory look to just try and laugh.

Zeniba smirked anyway. "I always knew _you_ would agree with _me_," she answered triumphantly.

"Humph. Just because you came up with the idea first doesn't mean I'm _agreeing_ with you. It's the only sensible thing to do, which some of us here clearly lack," she commented.

Master Gen, puttered indignantly. "Absolutely preposterous!" he grumbled again when Akihi laughed suddenly, slapping the table as he did. Haku wondered if he might not be a little mad. Once he had gotten all their attention however, Master Akihi sobered rapidly.

"I think this settles it – when the old crone sisters actually agree on something, I think it's best to follow their decision," the young wizard said with a conspirational wink at Haku. "I vote we let our dragon friend negotiate peace talks with the Ryuu-shi."

The female wizard who had spoken earlier smiled. "I think this settles it for me too. Let the dragon try his luck with the Coven."

"I agree," a third wizard added.

The _Nishi no Kusunoki_ nodded his sleepy agreement.

Lord Raiden sighed. "It looks as though we've a majority. He didn't look very pleased either, Haku observed. "Very well. We, the Wizard's Council hereby appoint the _Nigihayami_ to be our official representative to the Dragon's Coven."

* * *

And that's that! The first chapter of my first _Spirited Away_ fic. Do kindly drop a review!


	2. It never rains but pours

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

Wizards did not make their own tea the way normal people did. That was one of the first things Ponyo learnt quickly about her father. They magicked it into being from the very ether with some muttering, accompanied by a lot of hand waving. And this morning, there _was_ a lot of limb action involved. Fujimoto seemed grumpier than usual as he puttered about getting their breakfast ready. When she looked outside, the sea was a stern iron-grey and heavy rain laden clouds hovered on the horizon. Perhaps the weather was making him cranky. Fujimoto muttered again. The teapot glowed slightly and then exhaled a small puff of steam. Tea was ready and she lifted the lid, sniffing the amber liquid happily. "Make sure you eat more," he said as he hovered over to the window. At nine, her bright eyes already displayed a sharp perceptivity as she nibbled a piece of buttered toast. "Is something the matter papa?"

He flapped a hand in her direction vaguely. "Nothing to worry about," he said in what he considered to be a soothing, nonchalant tone which (had he known) completely failed to work with Ponyo. Concerned, she picked up a second piece of toast and followed her father to the living room where she watched him mull over the coats on the stand. One was a light denim one which he wore to 'blend in' with the regular people but the other was a flamboyant thing in peacock blue and yellow stripes and trimmed with gold buttons; a wizard's coat. A blast of wind gusted in, rattling all the windows and her father looked up sharply before snatching up the second one. "Wait here," he remembered to say before running out.

Typically, Ponyo opted instead to poke her head curiously out of the front door Fujimoto had left gaping wide open in his wake. He had his arms folded expectantly as he stood in the middle of the lawn, staring up at the sky. Fat drops of water began falling but he didn't move (living in the sea for most of one's life did have its advantages). Catching sight of her, he shot her a warning look and she nodded obligingly before disappearing back inside.

Twenty minutes later, wet and shivering slightly, Fujimoto was scowling up at the clouds with a thunderous expression that was more than a match for them. He was _drenched_ (which is a very different feeling from being fully submerged). He was _cold_. "If you're going to appear," he growled, feeling his empty stomach growl in return, "you should do so _now_ instead of manifesting all these dramatic conditions for a quarter of an hour and running!"

Nothing happened.

The wind continued to howl at him and then, with an abrupt crash and a clatter, Ponyo threw the door open again, disabling all his protective spells in the process.

'Ponyo!" he yelled indignantly and missed the front bit of her excited chatter. "and I said to tell you to come in!" she gabbled before dashing away again.

"Eh? Don't run – you'll trip – fall," he panted, giving the sky an evil look before giving chase. Why were nine year olds such a handful? He entered the house just in time to watch his daughter run out to the other end where she threw open the backdoor to a flurry of icy wind and water. "Come in!" she yelled up at the presence standing outside.

"_No_!" he protested, casting his strongest defense magic on the open doorway. The strong magical force that he had sensed faded away as he shut the door. He glared at Ponyo. "How many times do I have to tell you not to open the door to strangers?" She pouted.

"He's _not_ a stranger!" The door rattled violently and they both fell silent. Then, there was a loud but polite rap on the wood of it. Ponyo stared up at him truculently, her eyes heavy with anticipation. "He's not a stranger!" she repeated.

"Alright," he assented at last, "_I'll_ see what he wants and _you_ stay here behind me."

"Uhuh."

He opened the door and very nearly closed it again. A dragon. He'd never seen one up close like this and the aura it was exuding was powerful. It had dazzling white scales, a powerful tail that ended in a tuft of teal fur and the _teeth_. Fujimoto found himself taking a few steps back.

"Hello! Do you like rain?"

The dragon peered round at the girl with her sticky fingers and oily grin and then dipped his head gracefully. Her eyes went round. "Really? Papa doesn't like it that much," she said, wiping her hands on her skirt before sticking it out. "My name's Ponyo."

"Hush," Fujimoto ordered before turning back to the dragon. "I apologise. I was expecting you to come by the front." Before the dragon could answer however, there was yet another loud crash in the living room and Sousuke rushed in.

"There's a dragon Fujimoto-san! I saw it circling and then it…" He trailed off, eyes popping as he stared at the creature occupying his friend's back stoop.

Up close, it wasn't anything like the sort of rather fat creatures he'd seen in story books. This one, by comparison, was sort of slender and thin. But all the same, Sousuke was certain the thinness was all muscle and the sleek shiny look to it was due to the hardness of the close fitted armour-like scales that moved with its supple body. The dragon regarded him with light amusement in its olive green eyes and then looked at Fujimoto.

_May I come in,_ it enquired in a surprisingly human voice. Its mouth hadn't moved though, and Sousuke was wondering how it'd spoken when Ponyo began eagerly tugging the new guest in by its large foreleg. Her father wrenched her hand away firmly but gently. "You're in the way. How do you think he'll fit in like this?"

The moment Ponyo's hand left the dragon, a large whirlwind surrounded it and just as quickly as it had appeared, the wind disappeared. Where the large dragon had been, a boy of about seventeen stood. He bowed. "Please forgive the late introduction," he murmured. "I'm Haku, representative from Zeniba, on behalf of the Wizard's Council."

* * *

Sousuke was a normal boy. He liked to watch television when Risa allowed him to. He liked shrimp tempura and ham and malt drinks, playing in the surf and talking to the old ladies at the nursing home where his mother worked. He was good in arithmetic and Phy Ed, operating boats and had a working understanding of the international seaman's code.

He just had rather unusual friends. Who seemed to have even stranger acquaintances. Just this morning, as he'd gone out to Ponyo's, the sky had darkened and as the first drops hit the ground, he broke into a run, taking a shortcut through a bushy slope. Looking up, he had seen a wavy strip break from the ranks of clouds massing over the sea and spiral downwards right to where Ponyo's house was. Unlike other children or even adults, Sousuke did not panic. Instead, he focused all his energy into running straight to where the house was. The wavy thing fluttered above him, as if unwilling to land now that it'd seen him, still scrambling over the last leg of scrub and then darted away.

By the time he got there, the front door was open and though Risa had told him many times not to barge in unannounced, this was what he did anyway... to find himself having breakfast opposite a dragon. His initial fear was giving way to genuine curiosity. Although the dragon in front of him _appeared_ to be a boy of sixteen or seventeen (he couldn't quite tell; everybody above the age of thirteen looked the same to him), his eyes were too old for him. Sousuke expected he was probably hundreds of years old, like Ponyo's mother but he didn't quite like to ask. Spirits were as touchy as adults on that matter. He studied the dragon thoughtfully as he sipped his magic tea.

Magic tea. Haku had wondered what strange concoction the little girl would be offering him but when she passed him his portion in a delicate yellow cup, he found it contained a rather watery black tea.

"Please excuse the tea," Fujimoto said sheepishly. "Your arrival was rather… sudden and I was distracted." He waved at the teapot once more and muttered, "stronger!" Heat radiated from the pot and he nodded, satisfied.

Ponyo smiled in delight. "Magic tea!" he saw her mouth as he accepted it. "Thank you. I must apologize too for my unexpected entrance. I had thought the backdoor would be more discreet, given the circumstances." Fujimoto waved aside the apology.

"It's nothing," he grunted, mollified by the dragon's sincere tone.

"How is Zeniba? I've not corresponded with her in at least a decade since her retirement."

"She is well," he answered steadily, "Though, a little more short-tempered than usual because of the pressure from the Council."

Fujimoto nodded. "Yes, it must be difficult." He didn't say the difficult probably lay with her taking on a dragon as an apprentice. Word was out that there would be war if talks broke down with the Coven.

"How did you find my place?" he asked instead. "I made sure it wasn't easy for anyone to locate it."

The dragon smiled. "You do not remember me sir?"

Fujimoto stared at the young man with the strange almond shaped eyes before him. Though he appeared to be in his late teens, he cut an impressive figure with his keen, quiet poise, unforgettable. Fujimoto was absent-minded but he wasn't a dunce. His brow relaxed as on searching his memory, a vision of a bright day at the beach swam into focus. He laughed suddenly with recognition. "But you've grown so much!" he protested. The young man smiled again.

"Zeniba complains all the time about how I grow out my shoes."

Fujimoto waved a hand. "Tell her she should be lucky she's not stuck with an nine year old child with vanity issues." Ponyo stuck her tongue out at him.

"See what I mean," he said, with a glance at the two oil spots on her yellow skirt.

"It was an accident," she muttered.

Haku chuckled. "Brunehilde isn't it?" he asked. To his surprise, the girl shook her head vehemently.

"My name's _Ponyo_!" she insisted fiercely.

"Alright," he said easily.

She stiffened. "You aren't going to try and call me by my real name?"

"If it's Ponyo you prefer, I'll address you by that," he answered seriously. "Everybody has the right to their own names." Looking up, he noticed the odd look the young boy was giving him. For a moment, he couldn't place it and then realized it was grimness, an expression that didn't seem right on so young a face.

"So, it's Ponyo right?" he confirmed, quickly shifting his attention back to the visibly delighted girl.

"Yes!"

Fujimoto coughed. "Right. To business. How can I help you?"

"About that…" he reached into his blue sleeve and pulled out a letter. Fujimoto accepted it, glancing for a moment at the wax insignia. A lamp and a frog; it was Zeniba's seal. He broke it with a knife and then read the single sheet it contained.

"You wish to stay here."

It wasn't a question and Haku waited. The wizard went back to the letter. "…as an intermediary for the Council…request for…offer protection…trusted member…"

It made sense. Zeniba's letter had made it plain. His little seaside cove was well protected far away from where spirits convened and he and Haku shared the same affinity for water and wind magic. As such, any disturbances in the area would be easily attributed to _his_ work. As plans went, this was a sound one.

"I'll have you know I can't be expected to keep every single fish here quiet. Once outside my barrier, they're not under my jurisdiction," he pointed it. "And a magic user of your level, it's hard to remain inconspicuous." His eyes travelled over the dragon's outfit comprising of a blue smock over a white mandarin collar and grey slacks. It was the garb of apprentice wizards receiving Council training. "The Dragon Coven must be sore with you for siding with the Council."

"Not all of them are. I've been tasked to speak to those who have been neutral so far."

"I had heard that someone from the Council had been appointed as ambassador." He looked at the dragon with renewed respect. "I just didn't think it would have been you."

"You could say I was picked because I'm the only dragon this side."

Fujimoto looked unhappy. "I chose to live here because I didn't want to be involved in Council politics."

"I know," Haku replied. "But surely you must have sensed how the waterways have been affected."

"Yes…" Fujimoto's expression was grim. "The fish have been jumpier than usual." He looked down into his half-finished tea. "It's not that I don't want to help but you've seen for yourself my home. My daughter. The richness of the islands and more importantly the _peace_." He let the significance of the last bit sink in. The young dragon before him listened with a sympathetic look.

"I understand how much we are asking. And I don't wish to bring the fight here either." He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of waves crashing against the cliff, the mute whispers of ocean life minding its own business. The garden outside was buzzing with small animals and further away, some motor vehicle putting down a slope. It was peaceful. The wizard had done a good job keeping the rhythms of this place harmoniously in sync.

"If I stay here, I will assist in protecting this place. It's the least I can do," he spoke finally. "As you have said, I am a competent magic user… I would like to help. It is places like these that keep something worth working for."

"Thank you for the compliment." Fujimoto smiled and then conceded. "Very well, you have my permission to stay." Haku bowed. "Thank you sir," he said gratefully. "I am glad we understand one another." They shook hands.

* * *

_And that's that, intro to the other main players from Ponyo done. Chihiro ought to make an appearance soon._

_Do be kind to this fanfic writer and drop a review: criticize it, love it, praise it or hate it - I'll love to hear what you think._


	3. Arrival, or the non encounter

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

Looking out of the bus window, Chihiro was reminded of a journey she once took when she was younger. The sky had been just such a blue and while she hadn't looked forward to moving house then, the trip had been made bearable by the mysterious occurrence of a prank. Someone had managed to contrive to decorate her father's beloved car with a layer of leaves. Now, she was on the move again, back to the seaside she had visited four years back as part of a school field trip. The bus trundled down a narrow street and she leaned out to look at the ships below.

A friend of her mother's had invited her to stay by the beach for the summer and she had taken it up. Lately, living at home had become rather stifling, as if the walls had been closing down on her. Her friends had attributed it to her having finally started to grow up, but Chihiro felt it was more like growing _away_ from something that had been important to her. Then, the offer had come and she'd packed her bags with perhaps a little more eagerness than was appropriate.

The bus twisted round yet another bend, the driver yelling at them to hold on to their belongings. Several old ladies moaned feebly.

"What did I say?" one of them muttered. "We should _never_ have let Ohiyo's nephew do the driving. He broke my old man's scooter going ninety miles on it."

* * *

The tea talk had confused Sousuke for week. He had understood that something big was going on in the spirit realm but hadn't been quite able to work out the details. Fujimoto had seemed more anxious lately, and after the dragon had departed, the crease that had appeared between his eyebrows had only deepened in the days that had passed. He tried asking Ponyo as they skipped down through the rocks-and-sand path down the backyard to the shore.

"Hmm… Ponyo doesn't know either," she said as she climbed carefully over a rock. "Papa doesn't like to tell me much, so I asked the fish, but all _they_ can tell me is that there might be a big magical war."

"_War_!" Sousuke repeated anxiously. "But why?"

"A big treasure got stolen, but nobody knows who did it but the wizards are being blamed for them going missing. The treasure belongs to the dragons which is why Haku needs to go talk them out of being angry." They reached the cove beneath the cliff. Overhead, the rock rose up immeasurably high and then swooped back down to sort of hang over them.

"Only, the dragons are mad at Haku because he sides with the wizards."

"Did you hear all this from the fish?" Sousuke asked, perplexed.

"Uh-uh. Granmamare-mama told me. But she didn't say anything about the magical war," Ponyo said, sounding miffed at not having the juicy part of the news told to her.

"I see…" That bit cleared up, he could go on to more pressing matters.

"Umm, Ponyo, what do you think about Haku?"

"What? Oh, Ponyo likes him, because he's nice. He calls me Ponyo, unlike papa, who still forgets sometimes!" _Oh dear_. Sousuke trailed after her worriedly. "But, our classmates in school call you that and you don't like them any better!"

"That's because they don't know Ponyo has _two_ names," she retorted, blowing her fringe impatiently out of her eyes. "And they're stupid. Anyway, let's go see the big crab I saw yesterday. Papa promised we'd have crabs for dinner if we catch some."

* * *

Stepping out of the bus, Chihiro admittedly felt a little green, but as none of the rest of the passengers looked too well either, she was consoled into thinking at least she was still standing. A slender woman stomped out right to where the driver was standing and prodded him smartly in the ribs. "Takashi! What's this I hear about you going over the speed limit again?"

Takashi sniffed. "It was a perfectly smooth ride," he countered, slapping the bus fondly. "This baby can do a hundred and ten on a good day."

Several of the old ladies who had been on the bus glared unhappily at him as they were helped into the nursing home. The young woman tutted loudly and began slinging more bags around her shoulders before tossing one at Takashi. "You might as well make yourself useful while you're here then," she grumbled.

"Excuse me, may I know where I can find Risa?"

The woman turned at her name. "That'll be me… and you're?"

"I'm Chihiro."

Risa stared at her mutely and then slapped a free hand to her forehead. "What day is it?" she asked.

"It's Thursday."

"Already?! Oh dear! I quite forgot you were coming today! There's been a mix up at the home and we're understaffed..." she ran a hand through her hair. In her frustration, she began loading Takashi with more items. "Here, take these," she said vaguely as Takashi flailed under the weight of being overloaded. "Is there anything I can help with?" Chihiro asked as she followed the older woman into the lobby. Risa blinked in surprise. "Oh – I can't possibly…"

"Risa! Could you tend to Fuji-san over in room eight?"

"Hai! I'm coming." She turned back to Chihiro hopefully. "If you really don't mind, that is. I'll also be able to take you back home with me when I knock off."

"Sure," she answered. "Where do I stow my bag?"

* * *

Dinner at Fujimoto's was always dramatic affairs and this night's was no different. Upon discovering that there would not, in fact be any crab for dinner, she had sulked, her pretty mouth turned downwards. Sousuke, who knew the signs, was keeping well back from the murderous look Fujimoto and his daughter was shooting each other. "It escaped! And it was poisonous anyway!" Fujimoto growled defensively.

"Was not!" Ponyo huffed. "It was a big delicious crab which _you_ promised Ponyo for dinner!"

Sousuke sighed. Ponyo was lovely – until you got between her and favourite foods. She'd punched a boy at school once when he tried to steal her ham sandwich when she hadn't been looking. "There's plenty of other crab on the table!" Fujimoto was now saying.

"They aren't the one Ponyo caught!"

Above the din, Sousuke heard a soft clatter. Turning to peer into the darkened living room, he caught an orange blur scrabbling under the sofa. The crab stiffened at being sighted and Sousuke winked at it. _Go on_, he told it silently. _I won't give you away_. The crab seemed to understand because it disappeared into the room after a quick nod at him. When Sousuke next looked, it had somehow managed to climb onto the window sill and with a light hop, was well on its way to freedom.

On touching the ground on the outside of the magician's house, the crab looked about cautiously, left, then right. Then, with a shake and a misty blurring of its edges, it stretched, elongating into a thin white vaguely rodent shape with a long brush-like tail. _Free_! Without a backward glance, it was across the road in a few bounds.

Moments later, with a loud screech that shook the trees, a bus halted in front of Fujimoto's house and Haku stepped out, careful not to accidentally trod on one of the bus's many legs. He patted its furry flank. "Thanks for the ride," he said as the cat-bus grinned at him, its twin-lamp eyes beaming in the dark. With another screech, it was away, leaving the boy and his small suitcase in the dark. The door opened and Haku found himself assaulted by a red blur which cannoned into him.

"Haku!" a delighted voice squealed. Ah. It must be Ponyo after all and not some surprise attack. His ears ringing, he managed to extricate himself from the girl's constrictor-like hold around his neck. "Hello Ponyo," he smiled. The human boy – Sousuke – hovered in the background, backlit by the inviting glow of the open doorway. "Hello Sousuke," Haku added in what he considered to be a friendly tone. To his disappointment, the boy didn't seem inclined to reciprocating the greeting as Sousuke only nodded back solemnly, his brow furrowed gravely.

"Hello Mr Dragon."

It wasn't fear then, or the boy wouldn't have greeted him at all. Perhaps Sousuke just happened to have a rather formal upbringing. There wasn't time to consider matters anymore though, as he was pulled into the comfortable sitting room by Ponyo. Fujimoto looked up from the dishes. "Ah. You're just in time for supper. Ponyo, set another place for Haku."

"Yes papa!"

As the little half-sprite concentrated on laying the coffee table, Haku was showed to his room upstairs. Fujimoto held the door open as he stepped in cautiously. There was a faint sting of magic in the scrubbed floor and polished windows. "Sorry about that. I only just cleaned it up," Fujimoto explained on seeing the dragon's wrinkled nose. There was a bed by the window, a desk, chair and chest of drawers. The curtains at the window were billowing gently in the sea breeze. It was a simply furnished room but Haku felt he could be more than comfortable here. "Thank you," he said, meaning it honestly as Fujimoto placed his suitcase on the bed.

"If you need anything, just ask," he said.

"Yes, sir."

Fujimoto nodded. "You would find that the necessary spells for concealment are already in place. I expect you would be busy in the next week or two? The Granmamare informed me that there would be yet another conference, this time with the dragons?"

"Yes. And in the mean time, I am to begin diplomatic talks with the dragons who have remained neutral so far."

This got Fujimoto's attention. "Then, does this mean you will be moving about a lot?" he asked worriedly. "Only… it would weaken the barrier if you do."

"As much as necessary," Haku said apologetically. "No more than that."

A car horn sounded from the road and Fujimoto twitched distractedly. "Ah. It's _her_," he said with an ominous shudder. There was a loud clatter as the front door was thrown open by Ponyo downstairs, joyfully cheering, "Risa! Risa!"

Haku looked askance at Fujimoto who reddened. "Risa is Sousuke's mother," he explained. "She works at the nursing home above the beach cove. I'll better go see to her."

When Fujimoto got downstairs, Sousuke was dashing about picking bits of his scattered belongings. "Tell her I'm coming!" he gasped breathlessly and then disappeared into the kitchen where presumably, he'd left more of his things in the course of his visit that day. Looking about and seeing that Ponyo was nowhere to be found, he headed outside, half thinking of how best _not_ to invite Risa in. She'd only be a terrible influence on Ponyo, giving her _ideas_, not that the damage hadn't already been done. He sighed, steeling himself to invite her in, as a friend and civilised person ought to…

"Not today, Fujimoto-kun," Risa apologised, indicating with a jerk of her head to the back seat. Something shifted beneath the blanket, and he caught a glimpse of a brown-haired head. "Oh. Have you a guest?"

"Mmhmm. The daughter of my aunt's friend. She's here for the summer." Risa smiled, "The poor child was helping out at the home today even though she needn't have."

That's right; he'd heard it was understaffed now that two of the physiotherapists had quit at the same time. And then, as he was feeling generous now that he needn't invite her in, he pressed the crab salad into her hand. "Here. I made too much."

"Oh, no, you're too kind," Risa protested. "Don't you have a guest yourself? Sousuke said…"

"Ah, about that…" he lapsed when the bundled up girl shifted, relaxing only when she snored faintly. "Yes, I do have a _guest_," he said meaningfully. Risa's bright eyes flashed in understanding. "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure she doesn't sense anything out of the ordinary. Your secret's safe with us here on the island."

"Risa!" Sousuke yelled happily at the sight of his mother as he and Ponyo came running out. "Hey there," she grinned as he ran round the front of the car and opened the car door. "Ponyo and I…" he began eagerly when his mother shushed them both. "We've a guest," she said, smiling at his son's excitement. Ponyo leaned in through the open window. "She's pretty," she said in a loud whisper. Fujimoto grunted, deciding against informing his daughter not to make hasty judgments based on glimpsing only a fraction of somebody's head.

"It's her _aura _I'm talking about," Ponyo huffed.

"I'm sure she is," he said unconvinced as the girl stirred.

Blinking sleepily, Chihiro smiled herself at the little girl waving at her through the car window and waved back a little at the sunny orange grin directed at her. Goodness, she was so tired... who knew that old women in nursing homes could be as cantankerous as… she frowned, the thought almost eluding her. But then, with a jolt, the car was off again into the dark of the night and she yawned, turning over to snuggle better into the loaned blanket. Whatever it was, if it had been that important, she would eventually remember it.

* * *

_Notes: Ah, I'll be away for the entire of next week, so there won't be any updates then. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that the narrative jumps were not too confusing..._


	4. Of Cats and Rodent

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Thank you for the reviews! I apologize in advance for the multi-strand narrative. This chapter seems very... episodic... which is a weird word to describe it, but there it is.

* * *

_It was night over the spirit realms by the time he reached Zeniba's place by the marshes and small lights were dancing along the fringe of it, the aura of little woodland spirits on their way to some forest gathering. It must be late already. Alighting softly on the front lawn, he spotted No Face peeking out of the open window. Nodding to the strange creature, he opened the door. Zeniba was seated on her rocking chair, surrounded by bundles of wool. "You're late," she grunted knitting busily. "Dinner's on the table."_

_Looking up moments later, she was annoyed to see that he hadn't moved. "What?"_

_"Aren't you going to ask how it went?"_

_"Huh!"_

_He smiled. "You said Fujimoto-san wouldn't agree."_

_"I wrote him that letter didn't I?"_

_"Only because I asked you very politely," he said as he lifted the cover and inspected his dinner. Peas and potatoes. She was definitely mad at him. He speared one of the tiny green spheres doubtfully. Zeniba was staring at him goadingly. Seeing her look, he popped it into his mouth innocently. Zeniba sniffed, her needles clicking their disapproval. "Since when have you gotten this cheeky?"_

_"You always make that complain whenever I don't do what you say," he retorted mildly as he nibbled a potato. Good grief. It was raw. He ate it anyway. The needles stopped their racket and he heard her sigh. "You'll be leaving soon then."_

_"At the end of the week, to be exact."_

_"Good. Good. That gives me a little more time…" she tapered off, peering at him with bright eyes and resumed her knitting._

_"Thank you," he said quietly. "For having me all these years."_

_She snorted loudly. "Don't sound like you're never coming back here, child. I've a few things more yet to teach you."_

_He chuckled. "Yes ma'am."_

He'd been dreaming about that night again. Was it an omen? Had it been a bad choice on his part to relocate to Fujimoto's residence? Leaning out of the bedside window, he watched as the waning moon sailed overhead slowly, the water of the unfamiliar sea glimmering. Everything was as it should be and he wondered if he was merely paranoid or simply unused to this new location after 5 years of mollycoddling by Zeniba and an even longer stretch under Yubaba? It had been awhile since he'd been free to do what he wanted. While Zeniba had been kind, he'd been moving to her pace all this while and he did miss his own home even if it didn't quite exist anymore and yearly faded even more distantly.

He pushed open the door to his room softly, careful not to wake his hosts and padded downstairs. The second step from the top creaked when he stepped on it and he tensed for a moment. However, as the drone of snores continued undisturbed from the other two occupants of the house, his exit from the house went unnoticed. Climbing down the cliffs to its grass-fringed edge, he looked down into the crashing waves, closed his eyes for a second as he drank in its wild, untamed energy.

"Good morning ambassador," a musical voice said. Haku's eyes immediately snapped open and he looked about. A tall woman with streaming red hair was sitting on the cliff edge, dressed in a simple light blue shift, the string of oval-shaped gems gleaming at her throat her only jewellery. He found himself having to concentrate on not recoiling from the impossibly bright aura she was giving off. "Granmamare," he greeted respectfully, bowing from the waist up. She smiled. "There is no need to be so polite. We're all friends here."

She looked up to the cottage, only partially visible from where they were. "I see that Fujimoto is still asleep." She gave a little sigh and then smiled at him. "Are you well here?"

"Very much."

"And my daughter. I hope she hasn't been too much of a nuisance."

"Oh no," Haku answered hastily. One did not offend the gods. "She's been very well-behaved."

The goddess of the sea was gazing back out over the water and she nodded. "That is very good. I was hoping you would like it here."

"…hoping?" he repeated warily. To his knowledge, no one else except the Wizard's Council knew about his arrangement. The Granmamare chuckled, briefly revealing the mischievous streak which Ponyo had clearly inherited. "I had the feeling you were meant to be here," she said cryptically as she rose gracefully from her precarious perch. "I hope you enjoy your stay, and good luck with the dragons. Tell the Ryu-shi I said hello."

_Tell the Ryu-shi I said hello…_ Haku smiled in the wake of the large wave crashing against the shore. "Well that's something," he said aloud.

* * *

"I can assure you that the Council has nothing to do with your loss," Haku repeated for what felt like the umpteenth time. If the wizards had been difficult, the dragons were worse. The youngest member of the Dragon Master's court was at least half a millennia older than he was, and to them, he knew he must appear a young upstart who didn't know his place.

"Indeed, that is _your _word for it. Our sources say something different," Master Shinano wheezed ponderously.

Master Yamazaki smirked. Smoothing down her cherry blossom embroidered robes, she bared her teeth unpleasantly. "You are still young Kohaku-chan. There are…things which may have escaped your notice." She gazed about the room, appealing to her audience. "Perhaps we should not fault him too much. His upbringing has been… rather tied to an old lady's apron strings," she coughed as several of the courtiers tittered. Haku gritted his teeth.

"You are not so young yourself, Yamazaki-gawa-san. There are things which a master of your rank and venerability may have overlooked, being as you have implied, concerned with loftier perspectives far above others."

"Are you insinuating that _I_ would let my precious invention escape?"

Haku lowered his eyes modestly. "It is not in my position, youthful as I am, to understand if your failing eyesight might have been a cause for concern, especially when dealing with items of such a _minuscule_ nature."

As the dragon lord gulped in indignation, the Ryu-shi raised his hand, his jade-green eyes frowning under slender black brows. "That is quite enough."

"My lord Ryu-shi," Haku spoke again, interrupting the lesser dragon lord's protests. "The Wizard's Council has a proven track record of peaceful negotiations with practitioners of magic of many races and species. They would hardly wish to steal from the dragons."

A portly dragon on the Ryu-shi's left snorted in a way that Haku felt was strangely reminiscent of Master Gen. "A wizard's promise!" he growled sarcastically, which Haku took the dragon to mean as an insult.

"You may be too young to recall," another dragon spoke softly, "of our war with the Council which you spoke so highly of."

"That is precisely why we must be on our guard against them. I've heard that quite a bit today," Master Fuji said, her clear voice ringing impatiently across the large conference hall. They were in the Dragon Lord's main residence under Lake Biwa and several of the lesser spirits winced as her irritation washed over them.

"Do you propose something else then, Fuji-sama?" Master Yamazaki sniffed.

"I certainly propose some element of civility, which has been sorely lacking from this conference," she replied coldly. "As hosts, we should set the mood."

"If we allowed you to set the mood, Fuji-san, why, the discussions would proceed like one of those human's inhumanly fast trains," Master Yamazaki replied sweetly with a toss of her elegantly coiffed head.

"Quiet."

The one word from the Dragon Lord was enough to quell the others,accompanied as it was, by his crackling aura. He leaned forward, one pale hand propping his chin lazily as he surveyed the room with an almost careless gaze. Almost – for the Ryu-shi didn't rank as one of the spirit world's most important leaders without reason. "Fuji is correct. We could do with less absurd insults. What _I_ want to know, Kohaku, is what you would use to vouch for your word for the wizards."

"My life."

There was a murmur around the court.

The Ryu-shi stared at him, seizing him up even as he appeared distractingly to lounge into his massive throne, his olive and green robes rustling. "Too easily offered, coming from someone who has written it away before. What else have you?"

"Ryu-shi-sama!"

He flapped a hand in Master Fuji's direction. "I know, I know. I'm being greedy."

Master Fuji flushed under her fair hair. "I didn't mean it that way," she muttered.

"Things are different now," Haku said. "It was a decision which I did not make easily."

"Hmm." The Ryu-shi droned, unimpressed. "Perhaps the life of one of your friends, then, can be thrown into the bargain."

He shuffled the papers on the table, his slight frown clearing when a water sprite handed to him a roll of paper. "Your details, as much as my spies could make out. It's hardly appropriate of course, but you'll agree that it isn't sensible to conduct business without investigating the other party," the Ryu-shi said as he unrolled the scroll. "There is this human child… Sen is it?"

Haku could feel panic mounting. "This doesn't involve her," he snapped and then instantly regretted his hastiness. The Ryu-shi smirked.

"No, no, of course not. How could it?"

How had they found out about her? If Yubaba had anything to do with this… Haku quashed that thought. It would not do for him to start doubting the Council now.

"That's playing dirty," a new voice added its opinion to the fray. As everyone looked about to see who had spoken, there were surprised yelps in the audience by the hall's double doors, where a small figure stood. The ground around him steamed faintly and the nearest assorted water spirits were leaning mightily away from him with scandalised expressions. Akihi grinned, waving once he caught Haku's attention. The young dragon looked nonplussed and Akihi couldn't resist chuckling lightly. "A human's word may be good but surely the word of a Council member would be better?"

* * *

_Water, water everywhere. She shivered, hugging her arms close to herself. Where was she? What was this place? Looking up, she saw what she took at first to be white, green and blue streamers flying in the sky, caught in the gale. Then she realised what they were. _

_Dragons._

_One of them tore itself away from the herd, twisting and turning as it drifted over towards her, its teal coloured fur and pale scales glittering. Then, with a snarl, it turned aside, blown away. She watched it go, feeling a pit form in her stomach. _

_I feel sad. Why?_

_As the gale blew away, Chihiro was aware that a small ferret was sitting by her, its long white tail curled around her ankles as it peered at her out of liquid black eyes. "Interesting. You can't put a name to what you want."_

_"I don't understand… Who are you?"_

_"My maker didn't give me a name."_

_"What do you want?"_

_The ferret-like creature blinked slowly. "No one has asked me that before."_

_"I am now," Chihiro answered, bending down to chuck the creature under its chin. It purred. "Ooh. This is nice."_

_Chihiro smiled. "Glad to be of assistance. Is there anything else I can help with?"_

_The ferret uncurled its tail, which it waved thoughtfully. "I suppose you could help me decide on a name."_

_"Ok."_

_"I have a title. I'm called the Enabler of a Thousand Desires."_

_"Phew. That's long for a title."_

_"Precisely. You would think the idiot dragon which made me would have an ounce of sense…"_

_"I don't think I quite follow."_

_The ferret made a whuffing sound and Chihiro realised it has just snorted at her. "Sorry," she added._

_"It's no matter. Come on, come on, help me think of a name already."_

_"Umm. How about Sen? It comes from your title, so it won't be something too unfamiliar."_

_The ferret preened, evidently pleased. "It's short. I like it."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah. I should like to return the favour now, but until you figure out what you desire most, I don't think I can."_

_"It's really alright."_

_"Nonsense. It's important that debts are repaid." It considered her for a moment, scanning the empty sky above them. It was night, a few stars scattered between the clouds. "Hmm. I suppose I better stick with you then, till you remember what it is you desire. It beats going back to them. I hate having to sit so still on a shelf all day."_

Chihiro woke to the sound of birds outside at her window. Yawning sleepily, she imagined for a moment that she was still at home. There had been birds there too, come to scour for stray crumbs. Then she remembered where she was, and she sighed happily, stretching luxuriously. Her first day had been unexpectedly eventful as she ran about at the beck and call of old ladies at the nursing home. She remembered in particular, the imperious orders of a Mrs Fuji, an onerous lady and chuckled. There was a soft knock on her door. "Chihiro-chan? Are you awake?"

"Yeah," she answered, sitting up rapidly as Risa opened the door. "That's good. I've to leave for work…" she gasped suddenly. "What is that thing on your bed?"

Looking at where she was pointing, Chihiro stared at the furry white creature at the foot of the bed. It hadn't been there went she crawled in the night before. "I-I've no idea."

"Scat! Shoo!" Risa yelled as the small animal rose, it's back arched as it hissed. Then, it jumped off the bed, skittered on the floor and scrambled out of the window.

"I'm so sorry," Risa apologised. "Are you alright? Did it bite you?"

"No, I'm fine," Chihiro answered reassuringly, her interest already diverted to the window which Risa was in the middle of shutting.

"Funny. This has never happened before all these years I've lived here. I wonder what kind of animal it was. A cat maybe?"

She looked at her young guest sitting up on bed, her hands lightly clasped in front of her as she looked outside the window longingly. Then she turned suddenly to her and smiled. "Maybe it was a ferret."

"A ferret?" Risa echoed. "Maybe somebody's pet escaped," she added and then looking at her watch, groaned suddenly. "I'm going to be late!"

Breakfast had been laid out when Chihiro finally emerged, dressed and washed from her bedroom. As she picked up a piece of toast, Sousuke clattered in, and then seeing her, froze.

"Ohaiyo," she greeted cheerfully. This was probably Risa's son.

"O-Ohaiyo," Sousuke gulped, looking wary. Chihiro lifted up the jug, still smiling. "Would you like some…" she started to say but Sousuke had dashed away again.

Chihiro stared at the empty doorway. Eh… Was he shy or something? Taking up a plate of toast, she wandered back outside. Sunlight streamed in over the brightly decorated sitting room, the clock ticking slowly on the wall, its mechanism loud in the empty room. Deciding to sit by the window, Chihiro had closed her eyes for a second when she heard whispering outside.

"Shh…"

"But why?"

"Ponyo! She'll hear us."

"Who? Is it a bad person?"

"Er. No… I don't think so."

"Then why can't she hear it?"

They were squatting by the bush under the window when Chihiro leaned out to look. Sousuke's face immediately took on a paler hue but Ponyo jumped up eagerly. "Hello! My name's Ponyo!" she announced. Chihiro grinned, propping her chin with one elbow. "That's an…interesting name. Did you choose it yourself?"

"Sousuke gave it to me!" she chirped before noticing the toast on the sill. "Can I have some?" she asked, her attention instantaneously diverted. "Ok," Chihiro said, making the mistake which just about everybody had by leaving open the number of slices Ponyo could take and she blanched when the little girl snatched the entire stack, leaving only the half eaten one on top. Sousuke hastily snatched back some from her and returned it to the older girl. Ponyo glared at him, but he pretended not to have seen. Instead, he watched anxiously to see how Chihiro would react. To his surprise, her shoulders were quaking with laughter and she patted Ponyo (busy chewing a piece of toast) fondly before winking at Sousuke.

"She's like a cat!"

* * *

Much to Haku's chagrin, Akihi was stretched out on the guest bed like an oversized feline. _His_ guest bed, to be particular. "Why don't you go back to your own room?" he all but growled from where he was drafting a letter to the Council. The fair haired fire spirit sighed blissfully, lazily opening one eye. "But you have the better room." Haku looked at him sternly, and then gave up. Akihi was technically senior in abilities and rank, though in the Ryu-shi's palace, Haku clearly had the advantage – the very air was heavy with moisture which he could certainly manipulate in should he decide to start a duel. Sighing wearily, he turned back to his letter and knocked over the inkwell. As he stood up, black ink dripping from the tips of his fingers, Akihi rose swiftly, coming to stand beside him.

"Wait," he said sharply. "You aren't the careless type. It's a sign. Let's see what it means."

Divination by ink. Haku had heard that it could be done, though he'd never seen anyone do it before. Akihi stood with his arms folded as he leaned close to inspect the design which had formed over the ruined letter. All trace of his initial sloth had disappeared as he frowned intensely at the black whorls. Haku looked as well. "What is it? Some kind of animal?"

Akihi peered at it and then back up at him, an embarrassed smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I personally think it looks like a ten course buffet breakfast." When the dragon stared in disbelief at him, Akihi snorted. "Sorry. I think I might be hungry. Being here really saps my energy. It appears to me to be a sort of rodent. Any idea what that might mean to you?"

Haku gazed at the liquid which had finally collected as a still pool. The last drops were sliding off his fingers already. "No. None whatsoever."

* * *

_Notes: I will once again, be out of the country. Goodness. I can't believe how much I'm spending. Going to Spain this time, for a fortnight or so. No updates for a while again I'm afraid -.-"_


	5. Trouble in a teacup

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Thank you for the reviews! Here is the next chapter!

* * *

It wasn't long after Fujimoto had started living on land on a more permanent basis that he began exploring the various nutritional possibilities that could be found on it. His daughter, as far as he was concerned, should only have the best. However, the shops, he was appalled to discover, sold food that had been preserved ad bottled and canned, and after recoiling from his initial shock, he soon learnt where Risa did her shopping.

"There's a market of course, and while the fish is local, most of the vegetables are from the farms inland," she explained when Fujimoto had enquired suspiciously about the origin of the strawberries at the green grocer's. "If you want the freshest greens, it'll be Ohiyo's farm then, but you'll have to be there early, since she sells out very quickly. Her nephew helps her on his days off."

Takashi-kun however, had not taken to the strangely dressed man (at that time, it had not occurred to Fujimoto that his clothes would have made him stand out) and hadn't even after Fujimoto had established himself as a permanent resident and had started wearing a denim jacket whenever he had to interact with the locals.

"Oh. It's you again. 4000 yen, take it or leave it" he growled when Fujimoto appeared to express some interest in the small crate of tomatoes. "That's thrice the price of Suzuki's store!" Takashi tossed his head. "I said take it or leave it. Weirdo," he muttered under his breath. As Fujimoto swelled indignantly, they were joined by another customer and Taksahi's demeanour changed, his snooty expression flushing as red as the tomatoes on display.

"Chi-Chi-Chihiro-san!" he stuttered.

"Ohaiyo, Takashi-kun. This is a surprise! I didn't know you live here."

"No, no, I'm just helping out my aunt," he answered gushingly. Fujimoto stared at the floating pink hearts that decorated the unknowing young man's head. No one else seemed to be able to though, and he wondered if he was going mad. "Hey, excuse me…" he said, to no effect as Takashi gushingly plied the girl with boxes of vegetables - celery… melons…tomatoes… Fujimoto sniffed in disdain. Puppy love. The girl flushed, equally embarrassed though in a different way. "Oh no… I don't have that much money," she protested. Takashi blushed, unable to meet her eyes. "No, no, they're free," he squeaked in a voice that was barely above a hoarse whisper. Fujimoto snorted, loudly and rudely enough to gain Takashi's attention.

"Why are you still here?" he demanded.

What a change in behaviour! Fujimoto tapped one of the crates. "I want to buy one of these."

"5000 yen," the younger seller pouted.

"Ehh?" He looked mutely back and forth between the girl (where had he seen her before?) and Takashi. "But she- you-…"

The girl flushed, and then brightened suddenly. "Here you go, sir," she said generously as she gave him the box of tomatoes. "I've two of those…"

She turned worriedly back to Takashi, evidently not wanting to hurt his feelings. "You don't mind right? I've so much anyway."

The young man nodded mutely and she beamed. "Thanks!" With a flip of her ponytail, she had dashed back up the street, her coloured hair tie winking in the light. Fujimoto blinked. That felt familiar.

"_Ahem_." Takashi was tapping his foot pointedly.

"What?" he asked.

"Those aren't free. I'll make it 900 yen, and you ought to be grateful," he growled.

Muttering furiously, Fujimoto had tramped up the hill to his home again when he glimpsed a red-haired figure standing by the side of the gate. The second he blinked, she was gone and he sighed. It had to be the heat… All the same, he couldn't help but look hopefully about for a trace of the goddess, but there was nothing, only a rather large and spiny looking red crab which crawled away as soon as it had spotted the wizard. Fujimoto gave a start. The way the crab had glared at him, you'll think he'd wanted to _eat_ it or something… He gave a disapproving sniff and went indoors, feeling perturbed, and then feeling even more unsettled by the fact that he, a wizard, was feeling as such.

"Trouble's definitely brewing."

* * *

The crab hunkered down, waiting for the wizard to pass into his abode before scuttling out from under the bush. It gave itself a violent shake, transforming back into an elongated white furred animal with effort. _Honestly_. Sen tutted. _Why_ was it that every time she came to the wizard's house, she would just _have_ to turn into a crab? Surely the little goldfish-girl still wasn't demanding that for her dinner? Sen sniffed disdainfully and would have crawled out of the bush when a strong gust of air blew down on the lawn and she quickly hunkered down, her mammalian body hugging the ground instinctively. Beady eyes narrowed, she stiffened as the two spirits touched down on the pavement.

_A dragon_. A young one, to be sure, but still… and then its eyes narrowed and it drew a sharp intake of breath when the dragon's companion turned, red robes swirling… the sprite which had captured it!

"Mmm. This is a beautiful place. I'm surprised that it even exists," Akihi chirped as they walked up the garden path. Haku nodded absently, not really paying attention to the fire elemental as he peered about curiously. His chief concern was how to explain to Fujimoto that he had somehow acquired a Council member along the journey. When they had left Lake Biwa, Akihi had insisted on tagging along.

"But how would I know you're taken care of properly?" Akihi had protested. "I'm in charge of ensuring your safety!"

"I can take care of myself," Haku retorted, a trifle irritated as he finished up packing and straightening the heavy sleeves of his robe. His friend grabbed his arm pleadingly. "_Please?_ I heard you were staying with the great Fujimoto-san." Ah. So that explained the fire elemental's curiosity. Haku sighed. "I thought fire elementals didn't get along with water users."

"I'm open-minded. And I'll ensure Fujimoto's safety, I swear on my oath as a fire elemental and member of the Wizard's Council."

Haku had caved in the end, but not with some reluctance, and his sense of disquiet had only deepened when, on landing on the pavement just beyond the invisibility barrier conjured by himself and Fujimoto, he detected an additional presence. There was no time however, to investigate as without waiting for him, Akihi practically dashed up the path in his excitement and the door flew open and Fujimoto himself appeared, a flowery apron and frying pan in hand. He looked so ridiculous that Akihi stopped mid-dash and suddenly seemed tongue-tied. Despite his pressing worries, Haku was induced to a chuckle which caused Fujimoto frowned at them. "I thought so. Trouble. Well, come in then," he grunted.

Akihi surveyed his surroundings with curiosity. "You have a very nice house, Fujimoto-san," he remarked earnestly. "Well, now, it wasn't that difficult, and I had help." Fujimoto gestured at the sofas. "Take a seat, and then Haku can introduce us properly," he said, with a pointed glance at the young dragon as they all moved towards the furniture and Fujimoto made tea. As they all sipped it cautiously (a wizard's tea was always unpredictable), Haku spoke. "This is Akihi-san, chairperson on the council for fire elementals." He looked at his host. "And you already know Fujimoto, chief wizard for the Granmamare."

Akihi's eyes widened, clearly enamoured. "It's really an honour! I've heard all about your oceanic purification projects! We fire elementals …" he babbled.

Fujimoto held up a hand. "Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine. It's rare to meet a genuine fire user out of their stronghold in the volcanic fastness of Owakudani."

Akihi flushed in pleasure. "The Council put me in charge of looking after this young one," he said, beaming at Haku, who was evidently having to school a polite smile on even though he was feeling affronted. _Will_ the Council never stop harping on his age? But, before he could bring that issue up, the conversation had drifted on and Haku was forced to listen instead to the two mages exchange professional tips and stories.

They were still at it by evening. The conversation slowed as Fujimoto, with Haku's assistance, made dinner and then resumed its flow with the after dinner coffee. The appearance of Ponyo made a slight disruption but after listening to a rambling account of a nice salad and vegetable rolls for dinner at Sousuke's, the men had gotten back to their favourite topic.

"I hear that Lake Biwa was beautiful, but it's quite something I've yet to see," Fujimoto said. Akihi nodded. "It's very beautiful. I was surprised myself. There is a quality to the water there that I've yet to see anywhere else."

"Yes. Then again, as the principal home of the Dragon Lord, it is meant to impress."

"Speaking of that, you should make the trip down. The Inner Court is a sight to behold." Haku who had nearly nodded off – architecture was not his strong point blinked slowly. He'd never been party to the Ryu-shi's most trusted courtiers, nor been to their private court.

"_You've_ been there?" Fujimoto whispered, awed, any ill will he had bore his unexpected guest forgotten.

"The private hall with one thousand supporting beams in a lattice formation. It was a wonder to…"Akihi cleared his throat, looking flushed. "I-I mean, word has it that it's one of Master Ryu's finest work." Fujimoto nodded eagerly as they both lapsed into a comfortable silence when Akihi spoke suddenly. "It must be late," he said, with a discreet cough and a nod at something behind the wizard. "I'm sorry… I hope I wasn't a bother…" Fujimoto, who had in fact passed a very enjoyable night and had not noticed the time, looked round and in doing so, saw that Ponyo had fallen asleep curled up on top of a flat-toped chest, a couple of embroidered cushions being steadily drooled on.

"I should really get her to bed," Fujimoto said, jumping up hastily. "My fault! We were having such a nice chat and I didn't notice. Just give me five minutes and then I can send you off." Akihi smiled softly. "That will not be necessary. I can show myself out," he said with a quick glance at Ponyo.

"I can see him out," Haku volunteered. As he bundled a yawning Ponyo up, Fujimoto who had already leapt two steps up paused mid-step and turned to look at the younger men. Their backs were to him. Haku was saying something and Akihi nodded, smiling with a slightly subdued air of someone who had had too much excitement in one day and was now making up for it. Fujimoto eyed him uneasily.

"Nice lad. But trouble. I just hope it isn't what I think it is."

Had he known, Sen meanwhile, had been thinking along the same line. Her nose twitched irritably. This was trouble alright. The fire elemental had finally condescended to leave the wizard's house, Sen's eyes tracking his every movement – right down to the swish of his robes as he bowed respectfully and then perked up, waving enthusiastically to someone just beyond the doorframe. The _dragon_. This one was young, unfamiliar to Sen who twitched her nose again. A new lackey of her master's perhaps? But there was something in his eyes that made Sen uncomfortable. It wouldn't do for her to goad this one – or her kidnapper for that matter and she scooted to a safe distance as they both strode down the short path. The dragon nodded once in farewell and then disappeared back up the path. For one unnerving moment, his probing gaze had fixed on her hiding spot but then a look of uncertainty crossed his features and he went on his way. Ignoring him for the moment, Sen tiptoed out, careful not to rustle any of the plants. Akihi had moved across the road and into the woods beyond and she followed.

Only to nearly be hit by a speeding bus.

Hissing angrily at the rapidly diminishing rear of the vehicle, she looked at where Akihi had been moments before. The ground beneath the tree which he had been standing on was as bare as the branches above it and Sen mentally cursed the idiot human which had distracted her. Frustrated, she turned in agitated circles before freezing when two voices were raised suddenly. It was easy then, to follow the sound to a hollow not far off.

"There. I did what you wanted. Now it's your turn to uphold your side of the bargain," Akihi was saying when Sen snuck between two trees and hid herself in a dip made by a mass of protruding roots. Her eyes widened when his female companion turned stiffly to face him. Of all the spirits between heaven and earth – it was the dragon who'd made her! Sen wrinkled her nose in distaste. What an opulent and ostentatious evening gown! Her servants had probably worked round the clock to prepare it, she thought with disgust.

"And pray, what exactly have you done _right_?" Master Yamazaki snapped, her long sleeves rustling impatiently. "It's your fault that The Enabler is missing. Even _I'm _not spared. The Ryu-shi ordered an inquiry on my household after you and your Ambassador friend left today."

Akihi laughed coldly. "I call that poetic retribution. I hope he arrests you. Don't you care where this is taking us? The entire spirit world is in an uproar, as you no doubt know!"

"Politics. I've survived it for two millennia. A small thing like this won't bring me down. You on the other hand… I can't say," she answered sweetly, her teeth glittering like ice.

Akihi flinched and then glared. "I've led you to the whereabouts of the Ambassador and that is as far as I will go. You will let her go now or I will tell the Council about your underhanded dealings."

"And risk your dear sister's life? Or that charming little girl who lives in the same lodgings as the _Ambassador_," Master Yamazaki drawled coolly as she examined her exquisitely manicured nails. They were jewel encrusted. "Do you want her life on your head too?"

For a moment, it looked as though Akihi would have liked to physically attack the dragon, but with a flick of her intricate pearl and lace fan, Yamazaki gestured at the ground, where a glowing portal appeared. "I've to go. You dragged me from my own party and they'll be looking for me. Find The Enabler. _Then_ I'll let your sister go. And I don't need to remind you – if the world is at the brim of chaos, you have only your thieving sister to blame."

The fire mage gritted his teeth as she smirked. "Just you wait –

"Oh, I'm not a patient woman, young mage. I've all the time in the world. But does your sister?"

Sen had seen enough. Shaken, she stumbled away from the scene. War! With a shudder, she fled back in the direction of the road, where to her dismay, two glowing portals appeared in the air and out of them dropped yet another two figures. Somewhere to her right, in the mid-distance, she heard Akihi swear and back away behind the trees.

Looking up and down the unimpressionable road, Lord Raiden turned to his portlier companion. "Why have you dragged us out here?" he demanded in an aristocratic drawl. Lord Gen, who was busy dusting himself, waved in the general direction of Fujimoto's residence. "I thought we could check on our Ambassador," he said airily. Lord Raiden raised an eyebrow.

"And a lackey couldn't have done that?"

"Yes, well. We can't always depend on our inferiors."

The lightning spirit tutted. "I was in the middle of a party."

"Oh? Whose?"

"An equal's."

"Very enlightening," Gen retorted as they crossed the road to the trees. "Hey. Why wasn't I invited then? I'm your equal."

Raiden raised the champagne glass which he'd somehow brought along. "Good question. I will ask Master Yamazaki." He gave the other wizard a once over. "Or maybe not. She was probably concerned you'll eat all the food. Everyone knows what an excellent table she affords her guests."

Gen's eyes nearly popped. "You fool! That's a dragon! What are you thinking – fraternizing with the enemy?"

Remaining unfazed, Raiden merely drained the contents before thrusting the empty glass at Gen, who fumbled to catch it irritably. "Can you focus for a minute? I don't trust that boy. We should check up on him."

"He's doing fine," Raiden said as he peered admiringly into the trees. "My, aren't these beauties."

Gen persevered in asking anyway. "I thought you didn't like him either. Wasn't that why you were so hard on him at the meet?"

Raiden half-turned to look at him, baffled. "I was under the impression that _you_ had an irrational bias against the boy. I am quite neutral."

"He's a _dragon_!"

"And we're spying on a colleague. Whose sole mistake so far seems to be because he is a dragon."

Gen trailed after him. "You needn't have agreed to meet! You could always have sent me a note."

"In truth, I do have an agenda for being here."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Gen snapped wrathfully as Raiden smirked.

"If I may suggest, rather than employing a spy, a few small wards should do the trick as well. Any strange activity would be duly noted."

"I see," Lord Gen sneered. "And a _lackey couldn't do that_?"

A rare smile flickered acorss the lightning wizard's face. "Absolutely not," he said as he etched a circle in the soil with the tip of branch. "After all," he said, sobering, "The entire spirit world's at stake."

"Glad to see that you're still capable of thought," Gen grumbled and then tapped his foot. "Well, what are you waiting for? Say the words and be done with it. Weren't you in a hurry?"

Lord Raiden coughed gently. "My skills are too flashy. We'll have Fujimoto-san out here in an instant. Do you mind… finishing the spell?"

"And what would we be, if you hadn't shown up," Lord Gen grumbled.

* * *

Sen had seen and heard enough. First dragons, fire mages and buses, then her mistress had shown up and now, Council mages. She had best be going. However, in her haste, she snapped a twig. The sound, which would normally have gone unnoticed, was magnified treble by the dead silence. Both the mages looked up sharply. There was a loud rustle and Akihi burst out from a scraggly bush on the other side. The three of them gaped at each other. Akihi was the first to recover. "Evening gentlemen! Fancy meeting you here! I was enjoying a midnight stroll after sending Haku home." He looked politely askance at Lord Gen's hand, which was poised above the ward symbols. "What are you two doing?"

"Umm…" Gen faltered, snatching his hand away and tucking both behind his back in a prudish manner. "Er, well, see…"

"What a coincidence!" Lord Raiden interrupted the earth mage's fumbled words. "We were just doing the same thing!"

As the three men tried to look as though their situation was a normal and perfectly guilt-free one, Sen darted away in relief, a small white ferrety shape under the cover of darkness.

* * *

_Notes: =D The plot thickens! Yay!_


	6. Briefly, the second encounter

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

* * *

The morning dawned bright and clear. A mild breeze blew off from the sea, bringing with it a fresh tang of salt. A bird, concealed in the trees chirped musically. It was a pleasant start to the weekend and Risa leaned back into her chair, enjoying a simple cup of coffee. She looked at her son fondly. "Hey. Shall we give Chihiro a proper welcome today? We can picnic in the mountains overlooking the sea."

Sousuke, who had so far been nibbling quietly on a piece of jam toast lowered it and regarded her thoughtfully. "Ok," he answered, keeping his voice carefully neutral. "Can Ponyo come too?" His mother ruffled his hair fondly. "Of course. Besides, you'll only sulk if I say no." Sousuke grinned finally. "I'll call her then," he said, eagerly abandoning breakfast for the telephone. Risa rolled her eyes and then chuckled as Chihiro entered the kitchen, smiling bemusedly.

"Ohaiyo. Sousuke seems happy," she commented. The older woman chuckled again.

"He's just excited by the prospect of going up to the mountains today with us," she explained as she unfolded a map.

"Plus," Risa added, cracking her knuckles, "It's about time we got the temporary staff. I need the fresh air. I haven't had a proper break in _weeks_."

Chihiro nodded sympathetically. "Yeah," she said feelingly. There was a dull ache in her bones from all the running about at the nursing home. It wasn't _unpleasant_, but she needed the rest too. Risa grinned. "I only hope old Mrs Fuji won't kill the new girl." Chihiro laughed. The old woman had looked as though she had swallowed a lemon when informed that the new help had the same family name. The new girl, who had introduced herself only as Fuji-san hadn't been too thrilled either, especially after she'd been sent back to the kitchen with a lukewarm bowl of soup. As Chihiro helped herself to a second piece of toast, Sousuke burst in again. "She said ok!" he said. His mother smiled.

"I guess we're all set then."

Meanwhile, at Fujimoto's the alarm clock in the wizard's room had been blaring steadily for fifteen minutes and counting. Haku sat up, his head literally ringing with the noise. As a dragon, he didn't need such contraptions to wake up – he simply did. Besides, he was a light sleeper and last night had not been the best of nights. Someone or possibly some _people_ had been prodding around the fringes of the barrier he and his host had co-raised and Haku had no doubt that if he went out this morning, he'd find the vicinity pockmarked with spy wards. He rolled over blearily on the bed and sighed softly as Fujimoto's alarm continued ringing. Someone was going to have to wake him up. Once dressed, he encountered a sleepy looking Ponyo in a fluffy nightdress stumbling outside her door; a jellyfish stuff toy tucked under one arm as she rubbed her eyes. "Daddy put his ear plugs on again," she muttered while shuffling robot-like towards her father's door. Haku watched her go, mildly worried that she might hit the banister on the way.

"Careful –," he started to say, and then smiled when she veered sharply away from it and reached her father's door unharmed. While Haku was wondering why anyone would deliberately set the alarm and then ear plug themselves so they couldn't hear it, a loud yell from within Fujimoto's room claimed his attention. Rushing in, he found the wizard pulling on a shirt while simultaneously snatching up several scrolls of parchment. "Daddy's late for a big meeting with Granmamare," Ponyo explained before dropping back to sleep on her father's bed.

"Am I needed?" Haku asked as Fujimoto dashed madly about. It was not immediately clear what it was all in aid of because the wizard would snatch up one item before tossing it aside for another before rushing round the bed to pick up the item he'd thrown aside. Haku crooked a smile. What a mess. If Zeniba saw this, she'd throw a fit.

"Scales and waves! _Where_ have I _put_ my seal?" Fujimoto muttered and then seemed to suddenly notice Haku. "I ache all over! Did something happen last night? I thought I sensed something."

"I'll check over the barrier," Haku offered.

"Yes-yes," Fujimoto replied hastily. "Let's hope it doesn't mean anything."

The telephone rang. Fujimoto, who had one foot in his trousers swore and then looked appealingly in the dragon's direction. Haku, efficient as always, had by then gone to intercept the call. There was a moment, and then his voice came up the stairs. "Ponyo? It's for you."

Before he could take one step however, Ponyo had suddenly bolted awake. "It's Sousuke," she squeaked and dashed out. Left by himself, the wizard sighed heavily and dropped onto his bed. He'd barely settled onto it when Ponyo came flying back up. "We're going to the mountains!" she yelled.

Fujimoto snorted. Whatever happened to the days when his daughter actually asked him for permission first? Not that he'd say no. "Yes, very well. But do exactly as Risa tells you and behave yourself."

"Uhuh!" With a sudden lack of lethargy, the young girl dashed off back to her room. Fujimoto watched his daughter go with a long-suffering look. "I have a feeling something's going to happen," he admitted. "Do you think you can watch her for me, as a favour?"

Haku, who in fact had several pressing reports to write, nodded politely. "Of course," he said.

Risa's timely arrival was heralded by the loud honk her car made while they were having breakfast – or rather, Haku and Ponyo were while Fuimoto made hasty corrections to his conference paper. "Drat that woman. She's always early," he muttered and promptly dipped his pen into the coffee. Fujimoto cursed under his breath. "See. And where is the dish towel? I left it here not five minutes ago."

Haku, who never had any issue with punctuality, helpfully unearthed the dish towel from under the fruit bowl which Fujimoto had placed on top not three minutes before. "I've got to fly," the wizard said, ignoring the dish towel in favour for rising from the table. "Get the door, Ponyo."

"Hai!"

In the end, it was Haku who opened it, precipitated by a minor crisis when Ponyo's hand had become stuck inside a jam jar.

"Hello," he said to Sousuke.

Sousuke stared up at him solemnly. "Ohaiyo," he returned with schooled politeness. Haku smiled. "Would you like to wait inside? Ponyo… is still getting ready."

"It's ok, I'll wait here," he answered. Haku stared as the younger boy gave a wave to the occupants in the car and then settled on the front kerb. He was definitely not imagining it. This young man (for it was unfair to describe this serious-eyed child as anything less than that) was exuding an aura of suspicious hostility towards him.

"Pardon me if I seem rude, but have I done something to offend you?" he asked mildly. Sousuke turned to him in surprise but before he could answer, Ponyo came flying out of the door.

"I'm ready! I'm ready!" she squeaked, her extricated hand still showing sticky remnants of boysenberry jam and waving.

Risa honked again and leaned out of her window. "Come on guys!"

For a moment, Haku stiffened, eyes widening. A familiar brown head was revealed for a moment before being obscured by Risa settling back into her seat. Chihiro? He had to be imagining things. He'd checked on her the day before he settled here. She had been at home, listening to a CD. He took an unconscious step forward, only to have his attention usurped by Fujimoto bursting out of the door next. "I'm late!" he muttered and gave a hurried wave in the general direction of the car before disappearing down the road. By the time he turned, the car was already backing onto the road. He stared after it, feeling a sense of frustration when three heads poked out to wave – Ponyo, Sousuke and –

"_Chihiro_!"

* * *

Sousuke frowned. "What did he say?"

"I think he said to have a nice trip," Ponyo said, before sinking back onto her seat comfortably.

"I don't think so," he disagreed. It'd been too short for that and he appealed to the other sensible person in vicinity. "Chihiro-san, did you hear what he said?"

"Who? Er – no." She patted the white ferret-thing she'd picked up as a pet abstractedly. She'd been busy discussing the map with Risa and hadn't noticed when the door of the house they were waiting outside had opened. She _had_ noticed a glimpse of dark hair and a loose white shirt when Risa commented that Fujimoto-sensei's student was good-looking but then he'd stooped to sit on the kerb, obscured by large flowering rhododendrons. She ran a hand through her loose hair uneasily as they drove down the small tree-lined road. Something didn't _feel_ right. Sen must have sensed her discomfiture because she woke up, nose twitching worriedly and Chihiro found herself smiling reassuringly at the small creature before going back to gazing out of the passenger seat window.

They followed the shore line all the way up, the excited chatter in the back gradually dying down as Ponyo snored faintly and Sousuke buried himself in a tattered _manga_. It wasn't one Chihiro had seen before though she saw why it might appeal to him – a young girl with a red bow, a cat and an oversized besom decorated the cover. She understood the appeal of flying – whether on a broom – _or a dragon_, a voice whispered within her. She massaged her temple wearily and re-tied her hair in its customary ponytail. Goodness. If she was even thinking that, she must need sleep too. Her eyes had barely closed when she was almost jolted out of her seat. Risa had turned into a small rutted path and the small car bounced on the uneven road as Chihiro clutched at the door handle. She turned back to look – Sousuke looked slightly pale and he'd stowed his graphic novel. Ponyo hadn't woken up. Did everyone in the village drive like her father?

"Alright people," Risa said as she stepped on the pedal. "Prepare for a bumpy ride." They rumbled under tall deciduous trees for what seemed to Chihiro like eternity – though Sousuke who had clearly come this way before with his parents seemed comparatively calm, even when Risa parked right in front of a no parking sign and they all got out. Standing apart from the rest, Chihiro felt a light nip on her arm.

"I don't like it. There's something here," Sen whispered.

"Like what?" She remembered that the children had been whispering about a bad person. A rapist? Murderer? Robbers?

"Like something hiding. You all should stick together."

Chihiro didn't need anyone telling her that. All the forest paths looked the same to her. Still, it wasn't hard, once they had reached the plateau that was their destination, to enjoy the clean, still air and the small woodland sounds. Ponyo was clearly enchanted, rambling among the roots of the nearest camphor trees while they dined on home-made salad and grape juice. Risa yawned, stretching pleasantly. "Feels nice, doesn't it?"

Chihiro stretched out on the grass and rolled over comfortably. "Yes…" The air seemed to have a soft golden haze about it – a trick of the light perhaps? She saw Sousuke rub his eyes sleepily, his salad forgotten. Sen had already curled up tightly, a small furry mound that could hardly be discerned from the surrounding ground. The grass rustled dreamily and then stopped. The clearing was suddenly minus one person.

Haku had been more than willing to fulfil his promise to Fujimoto. For one, it coincided with the direction which Chihiro had gone. The Granmamare's words came with thundering clarity into his mind –_you were meant to be here_. For another, the sense of dread he'd vaguely felt since the previous night had grown exponentially with each passing minute the car drove away from him. This was no time for discretion and he transformed into his true form. With a flick of his tail, he lifted up into the air and veered out to the sea, where he nearly collided with a blaze of red flames. Manoeuvring with expert grace, Haku glided sideways until he was facing Akihi. The flame elemental's eyes were wide. "Thank goodness. I was on my way to get you. You _need_ to come with me."

Haku wanted to scream. Why did everything always come together? _What is it_, he projected into Akihi's mind.

"Dragons. What else? I met them on the way here. They won't enter Fujimoto's field of control but they won't leave either."

Every second of delay was putting that purple car further away from him. Although Haku was someone who knew where his priorities lay, his heart couldn't help leaping up, bursting with internal joy. She was _here_! Outwardly, he nodded briefly, efficient as always and joined Akihi as he sped over the tossing blue waves and around the scrub studded cliffs.

Here, the weather was completely different. Outside of Fujimoto's jurisdiction, the dragons had been wrecking havoc with the environment. Akihi looked angrily at the iron appearance of the sea and the overcast sky. "Look what they've done," he said. "The bullies."

_You should stay close to me_. _I can't do much, but I can nullify some of their impact and give you some space_.

"Thanks," the fire mage muttered as they faced off with the three dragons before them.

_This is neutral ground_, Haku pointed out.

"How arrogant," Master Yamazaki sneered from behind an outspread fan of ebony-dyed peacock feathers. "Are you spoiling for a fight in that form?"

"I have no quarrel with you," Haku answered tersely as soon as he had shifted into his human form. The wind increased, whipping his black hair about his face. "Did you seek an audience with me? I have Council matters to answer to at the moment."

The female dragon slowly lowered her fan. "You would do to curb that uncivil tongue of yours."

"That depends on who I am conversing with," Haku replied shortly. A buzz was forming at the back of his head. Something was going to happen, and very quickly. Master Yamazaki flinched as though slapped. "Why you -," she burst out and then calmed down just as quickly. "Perhaps we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I simply demand a tour of Lord Fujimoto's place. As a fellow dragon and my inferior in rank, you are obliged to serve me."

A person of less mental astuteness couldn't have failed to miss the rude insinuations the dragon was making and Haku drew a deep breath before answering firmly.

"Unfortunately, I am not. I have operated outside of the Ryu-shi's court for decades. As an exile, I am exempt from the rules of your court and am not therefore obliged to adhere to your demands."

"What he means," Akihi added in what he considered to be a helpful tone, "is that he doesn't have to help you."

"I can understand, you fool!" Master Yamazaki snapped. "So be it. If that is your answer, you wouldn't mind if I show what a renegade like yourself deserves!"

"I'll say she's the one spoiling for a fight," Akihi grumbled as they were rapidly surrounded by the three dragons. Haku couldn't agree more as he stared down the cold sapphire eyes and gold scales of the _Yamazaki-gawa_ spirit. He dodged her attack and then looked back to check on Akihi. The spirit was holding his own against the other two lesser dragons despite the clear disadvantage of his element powers. _As expected of a Council member_, Haku thought, before returning a blast of air at Yamazaki. The fire spirit whizzed past cheekily, chased by his two attackers and Haku, distracted, was forced to make a weak dive when Yamazaki launched a series of curving wind blades at him. "Don't worry! Concentrate on yourself!" Akihi shouted and then whipped sideways, leaving a trail of flames that hissed and steamed in the rain. _Right_. Haku redirected his attention to the dragon before him, but he couldn't shake of his unease as he launched a retaliatory attack at Yamazaki. _How had she found this place?_

The rain had been steadily increasing all the while Chihiro was clambering among the trees. When Ponyo had disappeared seemingly without a trace, they had all split up to search for her. The weather had been clear minutes before, but now, the sky was dark, and though it was only midafternoon, it felt more like evening. Chihiro pushed her heavy hair out of her eyes, panting as she scrambled down the slippery hill side, trying not to think about what would happen if she fell. Some of those ledges were almost out of reach. Her feet had barely touched the bottom when, Sen, who had bounded ahead, came dashing back.

"I found her," the white creature said. "Your combined desires to find her have allowed me to pinpoint where she is."

"Good," Chihiro said. "Where?"

"You've to hurry," the Enabler of a Thousand Desires urged. "She's in danger." Chihiro turned back to look and had to bite back her fear. Sousuke was attempting to scrabble down the way she came.

"Sousuke! No! Stay up there!" she shouted above the noise of the rain and trees.

"No, I'm coming with you!" he shouted back. "I heard it. Ponyo's there!"

"I'll get her back, I promise. You have to tell Risa where I'm going!"

For a moment, it looked as though the little boy might protest but then he nodded curtly. "Please," he said and then began making his way up again. Chihiro watched for a moment and then after making sure that he could handle it, ran towards Ponyo.

The trees thickened inexorably and Chihiro found herself fighting branches that whipped into her face and uneven, mossy ground. Sen, who was small enough to slip under most of the undergrowth kept turning round anxiously. There was an odd clicking sound all around them, and the very air seemed to be laden with antagonistic whispers. Ignoring them, she pushed forward determinedly and then suddenly, the trees parted easily and she fell forward into a sloped cliff edge. Ponyo was there, but she wasn't alone. A stag was standing stock still between her and the frightened girl. She gaped softly. This was no ordinary animal. The creature turned, it's majestic, heavy, multi-tined antlers glistening in the rain until it faced her, confirming her suspicions. It had an oddly human face, slanted eyes gazing unblinking at her. Its appearance told her that she was intruding.

"Chi-Chihiro!"

"Don't worry! Umm…" Every instinct in her was telling her to panic. Sen's back was arched and her dark eyes wary.

"This creature is god level. There's nothing any of us can do."

"What do you mean by god level?" Chihiro whispered, her eyes never leaving the solemn stag.

"It's a guardian spirit, and it's angry."

"At us?"

"Not exactly. More like generally angry."

The stag's attention on them had never wavered, but then a gust of wind blew in from the sea and it lifted its face to it. A storm was gathering over the sea, bringing with it roiling gray clouds. Chihiro squinted. There seemed to be something funny about those clouds. A dreadful shriek filled the air and she clapped her hands over her ears. The stag had bellowed; a terrifying sound. Then, it angled its attention back to Ponyo, who stared at it defiantly. "It wasn't me! I didn't cause the storm this time! I can't!"

The stag-god lowered its head threateningly. Ponyo took a step back nervously and then squeaked when the cliff edge crumbled.

"Damnit!" Sen bounded forward suddenly, and it wasn't halfway there when instead of a white ferret, a boy was cannoning towards Ponyo. "Stupid crab-eating goldfish girl!" he yelled, reaching for her. "Grab on!"

But, instead of taking Sen's hand, Ponyo slapped him away, frightened. "Go away! You're not Sousuke! Stupid cat!"

"I'm _not _a cat! Idiot girl! Take my hand or you'll fall!"

"I want Sousuke!" Ponyo was sobbing now. Chihiro knew that if she wanted to do something, it would have to be _now_, or they were all lost. The stag was watching impassively and setting her mouth in a grim line, she approached it.

"Excuse me, _Kami-sama_," she said, bowing politely to it. Not waiting for it to react, she marched past it, speaking rapidly. "I'm sorry for our rudeness We'll be going once I've taken everybody with me."

She hadn't put much faith into her explanation but to her surprise, the stag shifted further back to allow her space to reach her friends.

"Ponyo, it's alright. Take my hand."

"Where's Sousuke? The cat didn't eat him, did he?"

"No," Chihiro smiled, extending her hand as far as she could without standing on the crumbling edge. "I promise you he is safe and sound. Now, it's your safety I'm concerned about, so how about you come over here?"

"Uhuh," the pacified girl nodded when the edge gave way finally and Ponyo tumbled over the cliff.

* * *

_Notes: I know I said Chihiro and Haku would meet this chapter - but it didn't make the cut as the chapter got too long and I had to break it up. X( I'm sorry! Next chapter! I promise!_


	7. Close encounters of the dragon kind

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Apologies for the lateness! And yes, they meet!

* * *

It was she thought, like falling into a dream. Everything seemed to slow down and she thought she could make out each individual white crest on the waves. The good thing was Ponyo was safe – though she never expected she would be the next to fall victim to the treacherous cliff. She had been about to chase after Sen, but put her foot on a weak spot on the ground. The action had sent her tumbling down into the sea below and she squeezed her eyes shut. That was when that white shape she had seen earlier come rushing up to meet them and everything went black...

_On opening her eyes however, she was no longer falling off a cliff side. Instead, she observed that she was no longer at the cliff side but sitting on a rather sunny patch in the middle of a stone path. Rhododendrons flowered exuberantly on both sides, and bees buzzed industriously. If this was heaven, Chihiro was slightly disappointed by how…domestic it all seemed. Then, before she had had time to take this in, a cool hand was feeling her forehead. She flinched, and the hand quickly removed itself from her forehead. "Be calm. You're among friends. Do you remember what happened?" the voice, equally cool, enquired. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Chihiro found herself looking into a pair of green eyes. The young man before her didn't look to be older than eighteen._

_"I'm not dead am I?" she asked._

_The green eyes crinkled in light amusement. "No… why would you think that?"_

_She shook her head dazedly. It was probably his clothes. They were blue and white. Angel colours, though he looked more like a retainer in Genji Hikaru's entourage than a celestial member. The young man had turned aside and his black hair which was cut in an interesting pageboy style slid forward, concealing his face as he wet a small towel. She sat up again when he returned, kneeling carefully on the balls of his zori-clad feet. "This will make you feel better," he said before pressing the damp cloth to her head. He was leaning so close she could feel his breath on her skin and she shivered, closing her eyes again when he tidied everything neatly and stood up._

_"I must go."_

_She opened her eyes slowly at that. "Do I know you?" she asked, standing up as well._

_He lowered his head, not answering and she gripped his hand wildly. "I don't even know your name."_

_For some reason, this made him look up and smile. "You already have it," he answered mysteriously before hesitating. _

_"We will meet again. I promise."_

**_A few hours ago…_**

Haku was the first to notice Ponyo fall. With a fearful snarl, he veered sharply away from the duel and flew straight at the cliff wall – stopping just in time for her to land on him. The others followed, Yamazaki pursuing with a vindictive leer. _Hold on_, he warned her and then dove into the water, as Akihi kept the other two at bay. Yamazaki dove in after him and they streaked under the surface before leaping up again in a gigantic burst of spray. Haku could feel Ponyo's fingers digging fearfully into him as he made straight for the cliff and deposited her on it. For a brief moment, he was staring directly at Chihiro, her hair whipping fiercely in the wind. She had her arms wrapped safely around Ponyo and Sousuke, but she was gazing back at him steadily, her eyes clear and determined.

_Sen_.

A puzzled look crossed her face, but Haku didn't dare call her by her full name. There were too many spirits about, some of which would no doubt benefit unhealthily from that knowledge. He wanted so very much simply to be with her but it wasn't possible presently. And – though her eyes gazed on him with their familiar quiet strength, he knew she wouldn't remember him. The spirit world took care of its own secrets and no human was allowed to pry into it without – not without a price.

With heavy reluctance, he turned away from her, only to be confronted by a loud bellow and a brack of antlers lowered against him. He'd heard about this god. It'd been a benign creature once.

_My apologies. I will bring this battle away from your haven._

With one last look at Chihiro, he somersaulted back into the fray and roared.

Yamazaki roared in return and thrashed her tail warningly but didn't dare go near. There was a god present for goodness sake. She knew better than that. Still, she bared her teeth in fury at the sight of the Enabler crouching at the feet of the human girl. How had _that_ gotten here? She looked sharply at Akihi, dancing cartwheels around her guards. _That girl has the Enabler!_

_What?_ She saw him look as well and his eyes widen in seemingly genuine surprise. _I swear, I had no idea, _he replied, sending his answer telepathically.

_You better not._ Lifting her head, she roared triumphantly.

_The Enabler! So it's true. The Council has been hiding it here all along_!

_That is not true! _Haku sent back fiercely, letting the thought sear the air.

_We'll see about that_, Yamazaki sneered. _Gentlemen, it's time we wrap this battle up_. She had formed a plan already and as her two guards hovered uncertainly, she roared again. _The girl is expendable. Be careful not to shed any blood on the earth._

"Run!" Akihi yelled to the others.

Risa didn't need a second warning. She bundled Ponyo and Sousuke before her and herded them to the gap in the trees. What in the world was going on? A voice had appeared out of nowhere and ordered them to escape. The sky overhead was filled with thick clouds that had seemingly risen out of the sea and a wind was blowing unnaturally in all directions. This was likely the work of spirits – but she didn't know which of them, or whether they were friendly or not. "Come on," she urged when Sousuke stopped suddenly.

"Chihiro's still there!" he yelled. Turning back, Risa bit back a curse. A golden dragon had appeared, seemingly out of thin air and was approaching rapidly. It didn't look very friendly. To Chihiro, staring out at the whirling sky, it looked as though a dark shape had detached itself from the rest and was rushing at her. It was too much like the nightmare she had when she was younger and too late when she finally got her feet to work. With a harsh snarl, the dragon swooped down, its dark shadow blanketing the grass under, only to come to an abrupt halt when Haku darted between the two of them.

_This is sacred ground! You forget yourself, Master of the Yamazaki River_, he snarled, forgetting in his haste that to Chihiro what he was saying sounded a series of terrifying roars. Yamazaki's eyes hardened in impotent fury. _Don't tell me what to do_. Her lips pulled back in a malicious snarl._ You will come back with me_, she informed the Enabler of a Thousand Desires. Sen shivered from her perch beside Chihiro. "I'm not going with you!" she said loudly. Haku's eyes never left Yamazaki's. _Why_? He asked. The ferret hunched up, suddenly reticent. It wouldn't surprise him if she had been unpleasant to the little spirit. _You cannot compel others to do as you wish_, he said to Yamazaki. _And the Council has a right to investigate if you have been abusing the powers of magical objects_.

_And why should I trust this Council which has stolen from me in the first place_? Her eyes glittered maliciously. _The circumstantial evidence is quite substantial_.

He knew she was manipulating him, and the thought angered him. _I will find out the truth, Yamzaki-gawa_, _and if I find that you have orchestrated this…_ This time she laughed. _How, little dragon? How? Before that, I'll already have what I desire,_ she answered, and lashed out suddenly, her tail leaving a trail of blood on the ground. The deer god bellowed in anger as Yamazaki raised her head in malicious pride. Haku bit back a curse. He had never known a spirit with a greater propensity for chaos.

Things might have gone terribly then, for all involved, but then, a ray of light broke through the clouds, and then another.

"Halt."

The wind died down. Yamazaki's scowl vanished, to be rapidly replaced by one of awe.

"Milord," she said meekly.

Small in stature, and robed in a shabby brown cowl, the dragon that floated down the beam of light didn't look like he warranted the address. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, his voice ringing clearly across the crashing of the agitated waves. With one look, he quelled them, and in the sudden quiet, he surveyed the assembled cast grimly. No one, human or dragon or mage quite dared to move. "My brother would be grieved if he were to see this."

"Who's his brother?" Akihi asked in a whisper as he alighted next to Haku.

"The Ryu-shi," Haku replied.

"Oh."

There didn't seem to be a need to say more than that. The dragon lowered his hood, revealing an impassive face framed by a fall of silver hair and mild lavender eyes.

"They don't look very much alike," Akihi whispered again. Haku decided to ignore to him. In the hush, Yamazaki swept forward, spreading her hands out in a gesture of appeal.

"Lord Kakita, this dragon has conspired with the Wizard's Council to wilfully conceal the dragon court's treasure for their own purposes. He should be tried by the court."

Lord Kakita's gaze travelled from Master Yamazaki to Haku and then back. "Correction. The Ambassador is only answerable to the jurisdiction of his Council. As an exile of the dragon court, he is no longer privy to our rules, for good or ill."

For one brief moment, Master Yamazaki's nostrils flared white in anger but when she spoke again, it was with evident calm. "Indeed, milord. Then perhaps we should detain him and the Enabler of a Thousand Desires until a suitable representative from the Council may be informed."

"In fairness, I was about to offer my cooperation," Haku answered. "But I cannot speak for the Enabler herself."

Sen shrank back at having the attention of the Ryu-shi's brother fixed on her. "I will not go with any of you," she yelped.

"Certainly," Master Yamazaki continued sweetly. "Lord Kakita, this is a clear sign that the Enabler is in cahoots with this renegade. You can see, I am sure, what an ingrate it is, despite what I have done for it."

The dragon's pale lavender eyes narrowed. "What _is_ quite clear to me is this creature's reluctance to acknowledge you as its master."

Struck speechless, the dragon guardian of the Yamazaki River could only gape. Sen blinked. The Lord of the Kakita River smiled slightly at her.

"Having said that, we would be very glad to have you back where you belong," he said.

Sen glowered back. Typical! Who was to say where she belonged? Or who she owed her loyalty to?

"I'm not your slave!" Baring her teeth defensively, the little ferret turned tail and vanished abruptly into the forest.

"Sen!" Chihiro yelled. She had no idea what had just happened but the shadowy thing that had been pursuing her desisted in its actions. For a brief second, she had a glimpse of white scales and fur intercepting it, but then Sousuke and Ponyo both were frantically dragging her away and seeing the fear on their faces, she hastened to follow. Then, Sen had yelped angrily at something in the air and scurried into the woods and she knew she had to go after it.

That however, was before the very ground beneath her crumbled and the sea opened up beneath her. She had had barely time to shout a warning when the white shape returned, nipping the waves as it flew almost vertically toward her…

* * *

Blinking slowly, Chihiro sat up, groaning to the sound of gulls crying above. Her head felt as though it had been stuffed with cotton wool. Looking blearily around, she found that it was twilight and for one heart-stopping moment, she couldn't identify her surroundings. Then, she remembered that they had been in the forest picnicking when Ponyo had disappeared, lured away by a stag that had stood watching them from the edge of the woods. At this thought, she leapt up hurriedly. Over by the trees, Sousuke was sitting up as well, rubbing his eyes in confusion. A loud yell brought their attention to Risa. "It's so late already!"

That was quite the understatement. It had been quite bright when they left for their picnic. She ran a hand shakily through her hair as Risa packed hastily, throwing everything into the large hamper haphazardly. "Where's Ponyo?" Sousuke demanded, drawing his mother's attention to her absence. A gust swept past them, bringing with it the ominous sharp tang of a storm. It was just as well that before they could panic, a small shape stumbled clumsily out from the trees. It was Ponyo, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "'M sleepy," she mumbled as Risa scooped her up. "There we go," she said. "Tired are we? Then we'll go home."

Neither Sousuke nor Chihiro were in disagreement. While neither of them could quite put a finger on it, they all sensed the foreboding atmosphere of the woods and they all hurried back to the car. Once safely ensconced and they were on its way back to civilization, Chihiro risked a glance back as she absently stroked Sen's fur (the ferret had been found, curled up on top of the car bonnet when they returned, fast asleep as well). There had been someone who had called her by that name.

Haku watched as the small pink car backed out onto the road and make its way back to civilization. He let go a sigh of relief. _Safe_. They were all safe. _She_ was safe. He turned back to where Akihi was waiting for him. The mage had sustained some injuries and the bruises were starting to show. Still, Akihi grinned. "That was some brawl."

"Yes. Humans are involved."

The mage's golden eyes flickered, sobering. "I do wonder," he said lightly, "how that girl came to have the Enabler. From what it looks, she has had it for some time. At least, time enough to gain its confidence."

Exactly. Haku remembered uneasily what the Granmamare had said. _I've a feeling you're meant to be here_, she had said. "We'll just have to get to the bottom of it," he replied. "Will you have to arrest me?"

The fire mage chuckled. "Not yet. As far as I can see, you can't possibly have known the Enabler was here all this time. I put myself on your tail because I _trust _you."

Haku smiled wryly as they floated down to the woodland path. "That is a funny way to show trust."

"That's because you, our Ambassador, have many enemies, and it's best if you have an alibi at all times."

"I see," he said, and wondered which of them - Zeniba or Yubaba had put the unfortunate fire mage up to it. Akihi laid a conforting arm on his shoulder.

"Whenever you are done moping after her," he said, and grinned again. His grin widened when a trace of colour appeared in the dragon's pale cheek. "After you," Haku said, transforming back into his dragon form and chasing after the brightly flaming wisp before him. They had met again, against the odds. _And they would meet again. That he was sure of._


	8. No Respite

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

* * *

"It was supposed to be a nice little outing! You _promised_!" Fujimoto thundered. Risa flinched.

"You never said there were spirits there! You in fact said it was nice! Quiet! _Relaxing_!" she yelled back.

Trumped for a second, Fujimoto could only glare at her in impotent fury. "Alright! It was an accident. Had I not found out earlier…" he toppled weakly into a chair. Ponyo patted her father's knee soothingly. "S'ok," she said. "Nobody got hurt."

Her father glowered at her. "Is that blood I see on your arm?" he demanded. Ponyo held up her arm and examined it closely. "Where?"

"_There_!"

They all leaned in to look.

"It's only a scratch," Risa and Ponyo protested together.

"Knowing you two, you'll admit it's an injury only after you're already unconscious," he muttered and lay back moaning. "Oh my poor head!"

Risa shook her head. "Your head hurts! What about us? We were nearly gored by a deer, attacked by who knows what -,"

She stopped mid-rant, having remembered something and lowered her voice conspicuously. There was no telling how much Chihiro knew at this point. "Didn't you say you had a dragon as a guest?"

"I never did," Fujimoto whispered and then pointed at Sousuke. "He probably was the one."

"Where is that dragon?"

"How should I know?" he all but groaned.

She frowned. It wasn't like it had been him who had been there. Her chief concern was her guest. That girl had been staring out of the window since they had arrived at Ponyo's and Risa was worried.

"Chihiro?"

The girl twitched as though she had been electrified and turned round vaguely. "I'm sorry, what were you all saying?"

Risa shook her head. "Are you alright?" she asked gently. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Chihiro managed a smile. "I'm fine. Maybe I'm just tired…" She touched the elastic band in her ponytail. "I'm… just…" She sighed wistfully. "I think I hit my head just now," she admitted. The nurse in Risa reacted instinctively and she pursed her lip in disapproval after conducting a brief check.

"Then you are most definitely not fine. Come on, I have no doubt Fujimoto would have a medical kit somewhere. I need to get that swelling on your head down before I get you to a clinic."

"Oh, there's no need," Chihiro protested feebly, only to have it brushed aside firmly.

"Absolutely not," Risa replied crisply. "There's no telling if you had a concussion unless we get you examined."

Chihiro sighed but submitted to being ministered anyway. From her experience, nurses often got their way. The good ones anyway, and Risa was definitely good at her chosen profession. She kept up a stream of innocuous chatter that while mostly inconsequential, had the calming effort of soothing her patient's nerves. She snipped bandages expertly, cleaned the bruised area, made Chihiro hold a cold compress to her head and then wound the white cloth tightly around her head and pinned it. Looking up finally as she mopped her brow, Risa saw Fujimoto standing by the doorway.

"How's Ponyo-chan?"

"She's out like a light; didn't even have time to complain. The moment her head hit her pillow she fell sound asleep."

"That's good," Risa replied. Sen, who had crawled up onto the table nosed the bandage roll curiously. She nudged the animal out of the way. "Out of the way, cat. These things need to be kept clean."

Sen sniffed disapprovingly and then scuttled back onto Chihiro's shoulders like a furry scarf. The girl laughed and stroked her. "That tickles," she said as she watched Risa return the remaining items to the white medical kit.

"Hmm. Déjà vu."

"Sorry, did you say something?" Risa asked and Chihiro shook her head quickly, not quite meeting the sudden interested look Fujimoto-san was giving her. The older woman gave her a friendly pat. "Up you get. I should go find Sousuke. Thanks for the supper, Fujimoto," she said. The wizard nodded.

Chihiro had gotten up to follow her out when Fujimoto raised one hand. "One moment," he said. "I was hoping to talk to you in private."

Risa looked at the both of them curiously but when Chihiro nodded, she gave a little nonchalant wave. "Sousuke and I will wait for you in the car," she said before striding off.

Fujimoto didn't waste time beating about the bush. He leaned back into the wall. "I was wondering young lady, if this was the first time you've been to this village."

Chihiro couldn't see where this conversation was going but she nodded cautiously. "No, it isn't, but it has been some time since I was here."

"Beach cleaning with your classmates?"

She nodded, again puzzled and then frowned with recognition. "You were that _oji-san_ sitting on that rock!" She laughed suddenly. "I wonder why I didn't recognize you!"

He smiled. "I've… toned down my dressing somewhat."

That was true. He'd been wearing a flamboyant coat and looked like one of those American rock stars that her dad was secretly fond of. She had preferred him in that coat to the plaid shirt he was wearing.

Fujimoto meanwhile, blanched at being called an uncle. "I'm not that old," he huffed and then eyed the creature around her neck severely. To the ordinary eye, it looked like any regular ferret, but Fujimoto had had the time to take a good look at it and knew it wasn't.

"I did say in private." The ferret stuck out a tiny pink tongue at him rebelliously. "Huh. You better not upset her," it growled before slinking out the open door as well. Fujimoto folded his arms.

"Weren't you taught that it's rude to eavesdrop?"

There was the soft but distinct sound of a wet raspberry blown and Chihiro couldn't help giggling. The wizard sniffed. "Rude creature. And to think it's the cause of all this trouble."

"Is Sen in trouble?" Chihiro asked, sobering. He eyed her sharply.

"I thought you were different. You have that same look that Sousuke has." Those of the _kamikakushi_ were always touched in some indelible way, their interaction with spirits marking them out to those who could see.

"I don't understand…"

He did. And he remembered Haku had been on the barnacle crusted beach, invisible and patient and his eyes softened at the memory of how he himself had first met the Granmamare.

"I hope you find happiness," he said simply. She was silent, puzzled, but he knew he wouldn't be the one to enlighten her. The one who could was presently absent, and Fujimoto hoped fervently that things were going in his favour...

* * *

"Preposterous! Absolutely preposterous!"

Lord Gen sucked in oxygen and prepared to yell some more. "How did you not notice the Enabler of a Thousand Desires? It was right under your nose!"

Haku bowed. This he didn't have an excuse, but he'd had time to observe some of the spy wards around Fujimoto's place. As such, it was a far less penitent dragon that raised his eyes to meet the Gen-shi's expectant ones. "I was under the impression that your spy wards would have picked up the presence of the Enabler, Gen-shi," he said. A murmur went round the table and Master Hanamori turned her beautiful leaf-green eyes on the earth elemental wizard accusingly.

"Really, Gen! How is this befitting of a council chair wizard?"

The earth elemental spluttered indignantly.

"Certainly, it must have been an oversight on Lord Gen's part. Careless, I know, but it hasn't done any lasting harm," Lord Raiden admonished lightly. "If anything, the _Nigihayami_ is at fault here for failing _in person_ to sense the Enabler and furthermore, escalating ill will between us and the Dragon Court."

Haku turned slightly to face the lightning elemental. "Perhaps _you_ as preceding wizard would care to explain the electric scorch marks on the wards," he pointed out dispassionately.

Raiden smiled. "Coincidence."

Zeniba snorted. "A newborn babe wouldn't believe you."

"Then it is just as well you aren't one," he retorted smoothly. The _Nishi no Kusunoki_ opened his sleepy eyes and surveyed them. "Irrelevant," he murmured, blinking slowly. The others fell respectfully silent.

"Either way, the dragons are bound to try and move into the village where the Enabler is currently residing in," Yubaba spoke into the hush. "It's in fact likely that they might already have someone on it."

"Then we will likely need agents on our side there," Akihi added. "I can vouch for Haku. Besides, he is already established there."

Yubaba snorted and Lord Raiden raised an eyebrow. "How admirable of you to speak for him, Akihi. But let me remind you that it is in a certain human girl's current possession that the Enabler resides in. A human girl whose presence is no doubt distracting to our good Ambassador."

Haku flushed. "It will not happen again," he said.

"Huh! That girl is trouble. I suggest you send as many agents as you can," Yubaba grumbled. "She cost me an extremely valuable employee and that only after three days in my place!"

"_That_ I have to disagree with," Zeniba broke in with a smirk. "Chihiro is a valuable ally. She has certainly brought me luck."

"_Of course_ you'll say that," her sister retorted tartly. "Considering how you poached my assistant!"

Not again… Haku felt he had never more understood what it meant to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Glancing at the assembled council members, he saw Gen rolling his eyes, while his more polished comrade, Lord Raiden smirked knowingly at Haku. Master Hanamori's lips were pencil thin and Akihi looked as though he was trying not to laugh. He raised an eyebrow.

"Ladies. Shall we proceed with more pertinent matters? The _Nishi no Kusunoki_ is getting impatient again."

They both turned to glare as one at him. "Don't be rude boy! It's _madam_ to you!" they both shouted and then glowered at each other as unable to help himself, Akihi burst into a loud guffaw and even Lord Raiden cracked a genuine smile.

A bell rang and the guard which Haku had met at the first meet came in with a letter on a salver. "This just arrived from the Dragon's Court, sir," he said.

"Hand it here," he said as the guard stepped back to stand next to Haku whom he eyed disdainfully. "In trouble again eh?" he said. "Always knew you would be," he said as Lord Raiden read it and then silently passed it to Master Gen. Yubaba harrumphed impatiently. "Well, what does it say?"

"The Ryuu-shi has issued a second ultimatum."

"How delightful. What I want to hear are the details," the witch continued obnoxiously.

"Seven days, Haku. That is how long they have given you to retrieve the Enabler of a Thousand Desires as an act of faith, seeing as there is no direct evidence to connect you to its whereabouts."

"They certainly came to a swift decision," Zeniba remarked.

Lord Raiden raised his hand to stem the flow of comments. "Needless to say, they would act upon their threats should the Enabler fail to be found."

"Then, if the Council is agreeable, I will commence the search with immediate effect," Haku said.

'This very instance?" Master Hanamori asked. "Isn't that a little hasty? Surely this matter warrants further debate."

Haku dipped his head respectfully. "With all due respect, Master Hanamori, dragons are involved. _Humans_ are involved." He paused to let the impact of his words sink. "What is the Council waiting for? I may be young, but I see clearly that this is a time for us to move quickly,"

He raised his head. "Rest assured that I will get to the bottom of this."

* * *

In the next several days, the village's sole nursing home was awash with rumours. One of the nurses, Miss Fuji, was unable to become excited by this.

"They're just young men," she complained. The other nurses all giggled and she glowered at them.

"What? I didn't say anything funny."

One of the old ladies patted her. "Come now, dear, how can you say that when Aki-san singled you out to talk to the other day?"

"That's right! I saw him kiss your hand! What an old-fashioned way to behave, but oh – how romantic!"

The nurses all broke into laughter anew and Miss Fuji was left to heatedly defend herself. "Who-who in the world would like that idiot! He's a fire -," she flushed, biting her lip.

"Go on," the old lady encouraged, with both eyebrows raised.

"His-his fiery rashness," she ended lamely to more giggles. "Anyway you all can give him a shot if you want to. _I_ don't like him."

The head nurse smirked. "Ah, then don't be upset if I decide to go out with him," she said, shaking out her dyed curls to groans from the other women.

"Oh please… Mari-san, don't delude yourself…"

Risa had appeared and she clapped her hands firmly. "Alright ladies, break's over. Fuji-chan? There's a gentleman here to see you," she said with an amused smile.

This immediately caused all the nurses and quite a number of the elderly patients to rush with abnormal speed to the waiting area where the gentleman in question was standing. "I bet it's Aki-chan!"

But the man in the charcoal suit who had been staring interestedly at the wall paintings did not have the unmistakable blond curls of the young man. "Good heavens, bishies are coming out of the woodwork," somebody muttered at the sight of the tall man with the long silken dark hair and darkly glittering almond eyes.

"Yeah, no wonder you aren't interested in Aki-chan or his friend. Your boyfriend's so good-looking."

What boyfriend, Fuji wondered dryly. She, the guardian spirit of the _Fuji-gawa_ had no time for dalliances and _this_ person could hardly be termed by such a pedestrian term. Still, an involuntary blush crept up her cheeks when he took her hand.

"Ryuu…sama…" she protested.

The Ryuu-shi swept her an immaculate bow. "Ah, Miss Fuji. What a pleasure it is to meet you again. I was just telling Risa here how conscientiously you have been attending to your duties."

"Oh er…" the poor dragon whispered faintly. "It's nothing er…"

Risa smirked again. "So nice of you to come down personally, Ryushiro-san. Please enjoy your chat," she said as she hustled the others away.

Fuji was the first to speak after they had gone. "Ryuu-shi-sama! What in the name of… why are you here in person?" she hissed. The Ryuu-shi sipped his tea slowly. "Why, to check on you, naturally. It's been some time since you have infiltrated the human world, isn't it?"

"Speak for yourself…" she growled. "You stand out too much."

The Ryuu-shi smiled vaguely. "Do I? But more importantly, I hope you can continue with your undercover mission."

Master Fuji nodded tightly. "Ah. You mean _those two_."

The Ryuu-shi's lips curved into a smile that did not reach his curiously-shaped eyes. "Exactly. We must continue to have a hand in this."


	9. Again, the third encounter

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

* * *

The issue with being spirits and good-looking ones, as Haku and Akihi were quickly discovering, meant that it was near impossible to go undercover.

"But, the first part of the infiltration was successful," the fire elemental argued. "We've explained to all and sundry that we're Fujimoto's Oceanography students."

Haku shook his head. That wasn't the problem. The problem was, everywhere they went, they caught too much attention. He'd sensed that this would be so. Earlier on, when they'd first started their search and had asked for directions at a house down the street from Fujimoto's, the old lady had blushed and simpered. Akihi had remained oblivious, accepting the large basket of vegetables with good-natured nonchalance. Haku on the other hand, had been used to administering to many different characters at the bathhouse and alarm bells were going off as he watched the old lady giggling and fawning over Akihi like he was the very incarnation of a soppy golden retriever puppy.

Then, when he'd tried to explain to Akihi, his friend had only looked stunned.

"Seriously? We're _that attractive_?"

"Yes. Well, you are," Haku explained patiently. "It's your spirit aura. You need to tune it down." He gestured briefly. "Like this."

Akihi's golden eyes gleamed mischievously. "Now I see! And I was wondering why all the nurses at the Home seemed so delighted to see us." He burst into an amused chuckle. "And no wonder Fuji-chan looked so annoyed!"

Haku sighed. "Can we focus? Even the dragon court has sent their spy over."

Akihi grew serious at that. "Ah, yes," he said unhappily before brightening again. "But this aura would come in useful wouldn't it, if we need to ask people questions?"

"Perhaps." Haku admitted. It wasn't in his nature to do things in this flashy way. He preferred discreet observation and reconnaissance. Fire types like Akihi on the other hand... This was why he'd been reluctant when Akihi had volunteered to come along. In some ways, the Akihi of this mission was like a child who'd been given free rein in a candy shop and Haku couldn't help but wonder at his indiscreetness.

_"You should watch out for your friend," Zeniba had remarked casually as she carefully shuffled papers. Haku, who had stayed back after the Council meet to speak to his mentor looked up from clearing the rest of the unused parchment._

_"Akihi?"_

_"Did you know he is the nephew of the ruler under Mount Owakudani?"_

_Haku's brow went up. "I'd suspected he wasn't the usual wizard. His magical abilities are a cut above the normal. You must have read the report. He fought back two of the Yamazaki spirit's elite guards under the pressure of an unfavourable field."_

_"Hmm. Yes."_

_He followed her when she strode out of the room. "What are you saying?"_

_She turned round so abruptly her nose was nearly in his chest. She twitched. "I'm just saying."_

_His mouth quirked. "Just saying what?"_

_She sniffed disdainfully. "That is for you to find out."_

That was that. Haku hadn't probed further, mostly because he knew the witch had told him all she knew. Zeniba may live in a swamp but she made it her business to remain informed and it troubled him that everything else about Akihi seemed up in the air. Still, Haku couldn't shake off the feeling that things were on a downhill slide. Blame it on years of working with Yubaba - but if there was something he'd learnt from her, it was how to watch your own back, and right now, his back was prickling with premonition.

Weighed down by the unexpected vegetables, they were waiting to cross the road in front of the district's sole public sports hall, Akihi seemingly oblivious to Haku's mood as he chattered on. Haku's face fell. A group of girls had trooped out and he'd spotted a familiar brown head among them. That Chihiro was there was not lost to Akihi. He nudged Haku, winking as he did "Why, it's that girl!"

"Don't -" the dragon began desperately, but already, Akihi had bounded forward and introduced himself to them.

"_Afternoon ladies_," he said as he leaned rakishly against the lamp post.

Chihiro stared solemnly at him. There was something odd about this young man. He appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen and had a mop of wavy blonde curls of the sort that might have not looked out of place on an Italian Renaissance statue. And his behaviour... Such open friendliness... was he perhaps a foreigner? She found herself caught by a flicker of gold in his eyes. To be accurate, a foreigner with tinted contacts. Well.

_He's come a long way,_ she thought, and then, _that came out of nowhere._

"Aren't you Akihi-san? My sister was talking about you," Ami was gushing by the time she'd shifted her attention back to her.

The handsome stranger flashed a pearly smile and Chihiro could have sworn she'd seen sparkles popping out of her starry-eyed friends.

"What gave me away?"

Ami pretended to think. "I don't see a lot of blonde-haired strangers around," she commented with a smirk. "And my sister works at the home. It seems you've become something of an idol. You can ask Chihiro here. She helps out there some time. Right?"

"Eh?" Chihiro hastily snapped on a polite smile as her friends fawned over the good-looking stranger. "Er yes... What were you saying?"

Ami rolled her eyes. "_Hello_... good-looking guy at twelve o'clock..." she whispered.

But Chihiro's attention was gone again, her gaze shifting thoughtfully to the pedestrian sidewalk opposite. It was empty, the sunlight glittering over the waves and the dusty black and yellow paint of the seawall. She turned reluctantly back to the Michaelangelo impersonator that Ami and Yura were busy chatting up.

Akihi's smile was wavering. The human girl was unnerving; the way she was seizing him up, it felt as though her unblinking gaze would bore a hole through him. Then, all of her sudden, she was smiling in this weird way at him. Discomfited, Akihi found himself turning his attention to the other two girls who'd been a little more correctly mesmerized by his aura.

"I see that you're going for a game?" he enquired.

The two girls giggled. "No, we've just finished and were just about to get a drink. It's a hot day," the shorter girl corrected with a meaningful smile at the large bundle of turnips in his hands. "It must be heavy. Where's your friend?" Akihi, who had truly forgotten the vegetables (and a certain dragon) blinked down in genuine surprise. Quickly recovering, he flashed the trio a grin that would have melted a frozen pond. "A gentleman is always able to carry his own weight, let alone these turnips. And as for my friend? Why? Are you interested in him too?"

The two girls smirked and then broke into giggles again. "That's not true."

"Really? And I thought he was the one all the nurses were looking at..."

"Not my sister that's for sure," Ami snorted. "Mari's definitely voting for you."

His gold eyes flicked mischievously to where Haku was. "What about you Chihiro-san? What do you see in a guy?"

Floating invisibly alongside the seawall, Haku looked heavenward, silently begging any listening _kami_ in the vicinity to spare him the embarrassment of watching Akihi flirt. He was on the verge of sending a timely rain cloud over when the fire elemental popped _that_ question. He stiffened. That wretched sprite!

Chihiro could feel heat rising involuntarily to her face. "Oh, nobody," she said, reddening.

Akihi's brow went up. "Are you sure? A pretty girl like you should have a lot of suitors. Perhaps..." he smirked, "they are just _shy_..."

Someone coughed. "Or perhaps your presence has scared them away."

The new arrival had fine dark hair and curiously-shaped eyes and was dressed in a loose white shirt and jeans that, (had Haku been conscious of), served only to accentuate his slender build. Chihiro stared rather and then looked away, scuffing her shoes. _Pretty, _that would be what her friends would describe him as. But there was more than that - he held himself with a sort of regal stillness, like a courtier in a fairy tale. _Which fairytale_? Chihiro hadn't exactly grown up knowing a lot of such stories. Was she _imagining _it then? The thought worried her so much that it was only when Ami dug her rather painfully in the ribs that she remembered where she was.

Catching her eye, Ami nudged her mercilessly again. "_That's_ the other guy I was telling you about! Try to pay attention won't you?"

"H-Hai..." she murmured, still blushing. The dark-haired young man it seemed, had thankfully been busy admonishing his friend and had not seemed to have noticed them properly.

"Didn't you hear me call you? Fujimoto-sensei has been looking you," he scolded.

"Ha... I mean, when did you get here?"

Haku smirked playfully. "I was always here. You aren't very observant are you?" Then, while Akihi was still fuming, he turned to the girls, bowing politely. "I am very sorry. I hope my... classmate has not been troubling you. He tends to get carried away on holidays."

"_Excuse_ me?" Akihi demanded indignantly before having the second sack of turnips placed unceremoniously in his arms. "Wha... Hey!"

Haku glanced coldly at him. _You idiot_, he sent, _what do you think you can accomplish like this? And stop harassing Chihiro_.

_Don't be a square. I'm not asking you to forget the mission. I'm asking you to talk to her because you like her._

The girls, to whom the fierce mental exchange was lost, only smirked among themselves and giggled again. "Not at all... er...?"

The dragon smiled uncomfortably, Akihi's mental message still resounding in his head.

"I am called Haku," he said.

They introduced themselves again at the sleepy cafeteria of the local sports complex, Akihi keeping up a steady stream of light conversation. It wasn't only that he liked talking (he did) but when his partner had become suddenly reticent after his initial introduction, he hadn't a choice. Ami and her shyer friend, Yura had by then opened up, offering sight-seeing advice and suggestions of local eateries.

"Perhaps we can all meet again if you would like," Ami suggested casually. Yura was already nodding excitedly. "Yes! And we can show you around... right Chihiro?"

"Chihiro...?"

The girl twitched visibly when Yura peered at her closely.

"Hai?"

Akihi smiled and leaned over to Ami in a whisper. "Your friend's... an interesting character isn't she?"

Pretending to be affronted, the short-haired girl folded her arms. "Don't be such an egoist. Not everyone's gentle and humble like yourself," she stated sarcastically and then smirked when Akihi looked suitably apologetic.

"Allow me to get you dessert, by way of an apology," he said and pulled Haku up with him. "Come on," he said. "You've to help me pick something."

They had barely left when Ami gave Chihiro a gentle push towards Haku. "Why don't you introduce yourself to him eh?"

When the girl stared blankly at her, Ami rolled her eyes. "Come on. I've never seen you smitten before."

That, Chihiro thought wryly, was because she'd only been introduced to Ami and Yura two days ago by Risa.

"And don't say I don't know you," Ami added (as if reading her mind). "Mari gets that look all the time."

"I'm not - what was that word you used - _smitten_," Chihiro insisted. Her friend snorted dismissively. "Anyway since you're already standing, why don't you go over and tell them I want rainbow sprinkles on my chocolate sundae?"

When Chihiro got there, the two young men were leaning against the counter, whispering fiercely.

"...if you don't dare ask Chi..."

On seeing her, Akihi flinched and Haku looked up, a guarded expression on his finely sculpted face.

"Excuse me, was I interrupting something?" she apologized. Akihi shook his head lightly and graced her with a bright smile. "Of course not," he said, though Chihiro could have sworn she was. Akihi waved grandly at the small cafe's paltry offering. "Haku and I were merely debating the comparative merits between the lemon meringue and chocolate sundae."

Chihiro was no expert on the human psyche, but right there a little shiver went down her spine. They'd been discussing _her_. Akihi was still refusing to meet her eyes properly, though Haku, she observed, was staring at her gravely. An involuntary blush crept to her cheeks. The cafe vendor banged down two sundaes on the glass topped counter. It was chocolate, luscious, cool and topped generously with chopped hazelnuts.

"Ami is allergic to nuts," Chihiro said, remembering why she was here in the first place. "She asked if you would order one with rainbow sprinkles instead."

Flummoxed, Akihi looked at the two sundaes. "Oh..." It was definitely going to waste and the cafe vendor shrugged.

"I can have it," Chihiro and Haku both said at the same time and then looked at each other, startled. Akihi raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Alright then... if you two like nuts that much..." He thrust one of the sundaes at Haku. "Wha-

"_Share_ it," the fire mage intoned, jerking his head in Chihiro's direction. The girl coughed, embarrassed but Akihi had bustled off back to their little table under the umbrella. Schooling his face to one of apology, he placed the ice-cream in front of Yura. "For you," he said as Chihiro and Haku caught up. To their utter surprise, Ami jumped up, pointing at their sundae with abject horror.

"_Nuts_! Oh I'm going to faint..." she moaned, flinging a limp palm on her forehead. Then, still pointing with her other hand, she indicated the table on the far side of the cafe. "You two. Sit there and don't come back here until you've finished that abomination."

This was too much for Yura, who burst into giggles. Tottering over to Chihiro, Ami slung one hand around her friend conspiratorially. "Do me a favour," she muttered into the bemused girl's ear. "I've just gone and made a fool of myself for your sake. Even the cafe _oji_ is staring."

Chihiro glanced at the other sundae perched on the table between Akihi and Yura. It too was covered in nuts, though Ami hadn't seen fit to deem it a biological hazard. In any case, Chihiro knew a lost cause when she saw one - even Haku had already moved over to the other table without a word of complaint. The cafe vendor had returned, this time with Ami's order and as he set it down on the table, he nodded sagely. "Youth only happens once, young lady," he said, jade-green eyes crinkled in amusement.

Ami grinned widely. "Exactly! So off you go - if you don't mind!"

There was nothing else for it and Chihiro sat down opposite Haku, feeling a little outcast. Ami smirked triumphantly and then mouthed _gambate_ when she looked at her accusingly. However, Haku's soft chuckle claimed her attention then and she smiled a little. "I am sorry for the trouble. Ami doesn't mean anything by it..."

"And do you?" Haku asked.

Chihiro shivered again. Though he'd spoken before, up close, she was surprised by how nice his voice sounded, cool as a fountain on a hot day. "Eh?" she said, conscious how awkward she must appear to him. But Haku, who seemed to regret his hastily blurted rejoinder, was no less comfortable. "It's nothing," he said, "Sorry."

"I don't think this conversation isn't going to go anywhere," Chihiro replied timidly as she traced the rim of the sundae glass shyly. "If we're going to keep apologizing to each other that is."

"True."

"It'll be a waste of time."

"Mhmm."

_Silence. _Even the other group of three had fallen silent, so rapt was their attention on the couple. Chihiro didn't know whether to feel amused or annoyed. She settled on a mixture of the two. Glancing at Haku she observed he'd noticed them as well and though his sober expression hadn't changed, his eyes were crinkled with what was obviously amusement. They both shared a knowing look.

"Should we keep them watching?" he suggested, with a lift of his eyebrows.

Chihiro dug a generous helping of the sundae, looking remarkably innocent as she pretended to consider the proposal.

"How do you plan on going about that?"

Leaning over close to her, he whispered, "_Simple_."

There was a sharp intake of breath that was neither of them and Chihiro clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the rash of giggles from bubbling out of her. She felt like she was ten again, though she hadn't done anything remotely this childish even then except for once when she'd snuck off to the back to eat _onigiri _(it didn't matter whose backyard it had been - did it). Haku was smiling again, though this time it was more akin to a smirk. _Your turn_, he mouthed as he sat down again.


	10. Meetings and Partings

~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Finally! Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Unbeknown to the cafe crowd, Sen was crouched under a bush in vicinity. It was a little harder than it sounded, because the flame spirit - Akihi he called himself, kept looking this way, even as he chatted in that obnoxious manner and teased Chihiro. When they'd sat down and proceeded rather unusually it may be said, to eat ice-cream, Sen had watched only long enough to check that the coast was clear before slinking away. Some ways down the road and past the main street, Sen had decided it was no longer safe to loiter around. There had been something else lurking around the cafe - something powerful that left an unpleasant buzz when she had gotten too near earlier. It hadn't seemed interested in them though and she had decided not to provoke it either. She was also gaining the attention of the villagers, who'd labelled her variously a _tanuki_, a flying squirrel and cat. Sufficient to say, the neighbours were starting to complain of her sojourns into their kitchens. Chihiro's house was still safe, but she wasn't sure how long, not with how familiar that white dragon was behaving with her. Chihiro may not remember, but she, Sen, the _Enabler of a Thousand Desires _certainly did and it troubled her to find out that it was _dragons_ Chihiro had been dreaming about the first time they'd met. But she'd made a promise to the human girl and spirits no matter how little or unimportant honoured their words. She sighed. Perhaps there'd be a way to warn her friend later.

Slinking under yet another fence, Sen squeezed out onto the back of the school where a couple of girls were loitering in their weekend finery. One of them had a pink stripe in her bleached hair. Sen's whiskers twitched. _How pretty_, the little ferret thought, and twisted back to look at her cream fur. _How boring_. With a smug little flick, she transformed into a girl - oh, not as old as the ones clustered under the tree and giggling, but younger. From what she had observed, human children got away with a lot more the younger they were. Straightening, she dusted down her coral-pink overalls and admired the sneakers encasing her feet. Much better. And so disguised, she turned back out into the main street - right into a dragon.

Sen blanched.

Fuji-chan, recent recruit of the nursing home and the dragon guardian of the _Fuji-gawa_ glanced down impatiently at the object that had blundered right into her legs. A little girl with an improbable pink stripe in her hair was gaping up at her, eyes wide in fear.

"Watch it," she snapped impatiently.

There was honestly no need for such a big reaction. and it wasn't as if she had ten eyes and a mouthful of jagged teeth. However, the girl back-pedalled immediately, looking utterly horrified still. Feeling just the littlest bit remorseful, Fuji apologized curtly.

"Hey. You aren't hurt are you kid? Next time watch where you..."

The child gulped, shook her head vehemently and pattered away as fast as its two legs could carry it. Fuji shook her head. Children these days clearly had no manners. Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled as she surveyed the area. It was deserted. The two teenaged girls had moved off, scraping the loose dust of the empty dirt road between the two of them. With an impatient toss of her head, she set off down the main road.

The moment the dragon's unsuspecting back had turned, Sen darted back out. It was a miracle that she hadn't been recognized, even though the dragon she had literally bumped into didn't look very bright either. Sensing an opportunity, she followed the dragon (though not too closely). They went down the main street to the waterfront before going back up another slope, the dragon seemingly tireless despite the blazing sun overhead. Before long however, the scenery started to look more familiar, and to Sen's dismay, she found herself in the parking lot behind the sports hall. Of all the places, she was back right where she started. The dragon disappeared around the building and she hastily followed after her with the nagging suspicion that she knew where they would end up.

As expected, Fuji stepped into the small hedge-bonded cafe and surveyed it with a critical air. Arms folded, she strutted between the tables before stopping to examine the one that still bore the empty sundae glasses. She snorted.

"Ah, Fuji-chan. I certainly wasn't expecting you to come here to visit me."

It was the cafe owner, green eyes glinting as he strode out from behind the counter. "How can I help you?"

Fuji looked up sharply, her annoyance giving way to respect as she blushed violently. "My lord!"

The Ryuu-shi gestured to the menu board that hung over the glass display of various ice-cream flavours. "Can I interest you in something?"

Fuji blinked helplessly. It wasn't everyday you saw the Master of Dragons in an apron. It seemed sacrilegious somehow. Oblivious to her thoughts, the Ryuu-shi had flitted back into the depths of the cafe. "Or perhaps a café au lait ? I'm getting the hang of using the coffee machine. Humans, I must admit, have some interesting contraptions..." he said as he ducked down to fetch a saucer from the open cabinet.

"Or perhaps something cool? Haku seemed to like the chocolate sundae..."

"Haku?" Fuji echoed blankly and then looked indignant.

"You _served_ that low-ranking deserter? But..."

"Low-ranking? Come now, Fujigawa, as you know, he used to have a very charming river and as Haku-chan himself will remind you, he does not belong in the coven ranks."

"Still! Think of your position! And anyway," she protested suspiciously, "where's the real owner?"

The Ryuu-shi shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably enjoying an undeserved holiday on a beach in Hawaii." He swiped a finger over the glass display. "Look at the dust..."

Fuji sighed wearily. Temperamental and idiosyncratic. That was the Ryuu-shi for you. She snatched up a rag, her mouth pursed in silent disapproval. It was little wonder if no one outside of the coven took them seriously. The insolence of the Wizard's Council was a recent example.

"Fickle and selfish," she muttered as she scrubbed down the counter with far more efficiency than the Ryu-shi had. He cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Are you perhaps referring to me?" he enquired pleasantly.

Fuji dropped the cloth. Face burning, she hastily picked it up again. "You heard that? I mean... I - ah - didn't mean that..."

"Nonsense," snorted the Ryu-shi. "One should always speak one's mind." He gestured to the nearest chair. "Do sit."

There was no choice but for her to obey. She sat down nervously, wondering if she was going to be reprimanded. The Ryu-shi pushed a tiny coffee cup and saucer towards her. "Cafe au lait. Don't worry, it's on the house." Coffee was the least of her worries and it took all that she had not to jump up right there and then and shout at him.

Pulling up another chair, he leaned forward with one hand propping his chin as he gazed at her earnestly. Discomfited, she turned away.

"I thought so. You _are_ mad at me."

"My lord!"

"Now, now." He waved a hand dismissively. "Allow me to speak without glaring at me. This suspicion, I must protest, is unwarranted. After all, I came here with the express need of your opinion of the Master of the Yamazaki River."

"Me? Why me?"

"Why, you ask." The Ryu-shi's eyes lost their vague expression as he stared ahead, past her. "I ought to let you know that we at the Dragon's Coven do not take mischief making lightly, be they sanctioned by dragons or otherwise," he said cryptically. Fuji scowled. The Ryu-shi was definitely in one of his moods again.

"And so." Turning to her, he smiled alarmingly. "Where we were? I believe my character was being unfairly smeared..."

Sen swallowed nervously. Hidden behind the bush again, she had thought herself safe; safe that was, until the new dragon in the cafe proprietor getup stared right at her with all the intensity of an interrogator facing down a particularly obstinate criminal. Earlier, she'd sensed that something powerful lurked in the shop and now, with most other auras out of the way, she was getting a good sense of what this man was and in truth, it was terrifying enough that she didn't want to go near it. Sen shook herself guiltily. Resisting the sudden desire to surrender herself there and then, she returned the dragon's look with a fierce glare of her own. If anything, she needed to warn Chihiro to _never_ eat there again. However, the dragon seemed unpertubed, going so far instead to speak suddenly and casually about himself, seemingly. The female dragon she'd tailed spun round to look in her direction too, though her expression was more baffled than accusatory when she failed to spot her. Hunkered down, Sen could only curse as she was pinned to the spot by the more powerful dragon's gaze as he turned to speak to her again.

"...my character was being unfairly smeared..."

Sen snorted while the female dragon looked exasperated. "My lord, I beg of you to take this seriously."

"I am. My question was a perfectly serious one. Do you trust me?"

Fuji looked down at her lap, face flushing. "I... I want to think you are here not because you wish to abscond from your duties, but... I am afraid I don't quite follow what you are doing."

"Ah. Then the fault lies with you does it not?"

He flashed her a grin as flustered, she turned even redder. " I do know what I am doing. Now can you answer the question? What do you think of Master Yamazaki? Be honest. You have my express permission."

Not any further reassured, Fuji eyed the Master of Dragons doubtfully. His eyes were unfathomable deep pools and she sighed heavily. "Very well. She is rude and obnoxious, a bully and irredeemably selfish..."

"You forgot 'vain'," added the Ryu-shi helpfully. Fuji frowned at him. "I thought you asked for _my_ opinion."

"Nevertheless," she continued, "I pity her for her loss."

"Hmm." The Ryu-shi tapped the table thoughtfully before standing up. "That's it for today. Much obliged for the honest opinion," he said abruptly before waving royally in her general direction. "I forget sometimes that the Master of Ceremonies is not here to dismiss you all." He flapped his arm at the bush. "Off you go then," he said before disappearing into the shop interior without another word. Fuji gaped, completely at sea. Was that a dismissal? But the Ryu-shi didn't seem inclined to talk some more. Disappointed and puzzled, she got up too, and left. "I'll continue my watch shan't I?" she shouted. There was no reply. The Ryu-shi was still the Ryu-shi even in the apron. Giving up, Fuji departed as well, muttering unsatisfactorily.

Sen only waited until Fuji had disappeared round the back of the cafe before she too departed, the sole thing racing through her mind being the dragon's emerald eyes as they bore into her. Scurrying across the road, she scaled the protective barrier and leapt down, startling a fisherman by the rocks below. Too wrapped up to notice, she strode off a little ways until she reached the spit of land below the nursing home. Her heart was still pounding. That dragon frightened her even more than her master ever had and she wondered who he was. Something about him had seemed familiar but she couldn't place where she'd seen someone like that before. She was still turning over her thoughts when she heard the scrape of feet on sand. Whirling round, she barred her teeth at the intruder.

Akihi smiled winningly and spread his hands in an open gesture. "As you can see, I am unarmed."

Sen's eyes flashed. "I remember you were unarmed too when you stole me."

His smile faded. "_Attempted_, you mean. As I too can recall, you escaped. The master was not pleased."

Of course not. The guardian dragon of the Yamazaki River was well-known for her temperamental behaviour. She snorted. "As if you can take me in. I'll just escape again."

"I didn't say I was here to steal you." He stepped forward, backing her into the water knee-high.

"S-Stay away! You are a fire elemental! You won't do any better than me in water."

"Perhaps. But I wouldn't try," Akihi said coldly as a ball of flames erupted meaningfully from his fist.

Sen glowered at him sullenly and folded her arms. "So, if you are not here to catch me, or threaten me or whatever it is you say you aren't going to do, what _is_ it that you want from me?"

Akihi's smile immediately snapped back on.

* * *

It was nearly dusk when Chihiro and the others finally left the sports hall cafeteria. Ami and Yura were already making plans to meet with their new acquaintances again.

"So, if you want to join us for a game or two, just drop a note at the home. Mari will let me know," Ami said. Akihi beamed. "Of course," he said. "Anytime."

Chihiro however, was looking at Haku. Was it her imagination, or did he seem unhappy? She didn't think he was the sort to be insulted easily or was particularly impatient and she wondered if perhaps he had been bored with their company.

"I hope we didn't take too much of your time," she said as Ami and Yura pressed round Akihi, bombarding him with some last minute queries.

Haku smiled briefly. "It was time well-spent. I enjoyed myself very much."

He said it with such genuineness that she fell silent, absorbed in running through the day's conversation. It hadn't been much. It seemed neither she nor Haku were chatty by nature and after the whispering episode which had all three of their friends agog, the jokes had subsided. Ami, particularly had been annoyed but it was just like her to laugh it off just as quickly. In the instant when they'd both lapsed into silence, she pounced on Haku immediately.

"...and Haku-san? I hope you'll join us again?" Ami added with a broad wink at her.

Sen snorted, trying not to smile as discomfited, Haku stepped discretely out of Ami's reach, only to have Akihi poke him. "Say yes!" he hissed.

Haku sighed. It was clearly a battle where he wouldn't win. "Umm... yes?" he replied dryly. Catching Chihiro's eye, he flushed when he realised she was laughing at him. It made him smile, that gentle lifting of the corners of his strange eyes that had Chihiro holding her breath and involuntarily staring in spite of herself. She shook herself mentally. When she'd gone on this trip, the last thing she'd expected to happen was a stereotypical summer beach romance. That got her grinning again. She doubted if Haku would ever be caught dead (or alive or that matter) suntanning or playing ball along the surf.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he enquired.

Chihiro reddened immediately. "Umm. Nothing," she said, turning hastily away from him.

Haku looked slightly disappointed but didn't press the matter. In any case, Akihi had been trying to catch his eye and he turned to him reluctantly. "It had better be important," he said as they hung back, allowing the girls to move ahead.

Akihi grinned lopsidedly at him. "I thought we were supposed to be working," he teased. Haku's face darkened.

"Alright, alright," the fire mage muttered. "I'll stop now." Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Did you sense something not right about this place?"

Haku nodded. "I did, but it didn't seem antagonistic." He glanced back at the cafe. It was partly shrouded by trees from the road and though he couldn't see it, instinct was telling him that was where the source of the niggling feeling prickling at his back was emanating from. Suspicious, his thoughts turned to the cafe owner with the cat-like green eyes and casual smile and Haku frowned, wondering if perhaps... Somewhere, a bird squawked, and just as easily as the thought had entered his head, it slipped out like water between pebbles.

Akihi blinked. "What were we talking about?"

Haku shook his head. He had feeling that it'd been important, but then Chihiro had come running back, her ponytail sticking to her neck distractingly.

"Hey, do you want to come over for dinner? Risa-san asked," she said, panting. Over in the distance, Ami waved a phone in the air and continued walking.

"Oh yes, Haku will be delighted to go," Akihi announced before he had said anything. "_I_ on the other hand, have another appointment." _You watch her. The Enabler of a Thousand Desires might attempt to go back_.

_Of course. _"I'll be honoured," he said out loud. _Try to keep out of trouble will you?_

* * *

Sousuke glowered suspiciously over the top of his plate of spaghetti. Haku raised an eyebrow at the open hostility. Was he getting old or were children nowadays a lot more intimidating than he remembered them. In earlier days when he still had his river, they'd come down quite frequently from the village and he used to enjoy their games while masquerading as one of them. Oblivious to the sparks exchanged between her son and her guest, Risa plonked down a large bowl of salad and miso soup and steaming fluffy white bread.

"Sorry about the eclectic table," she said. "It's how we usually eat at home."

"Oh, no, please do not trouble yourself on my account," Haku said. Still, he eyed the spaghetti a little dubiously before imitating Sousuke as he twirled the slippery noodles expertly on his fork. It was cold, and a little spicy but not in an unpleasant way.

"This is _good_."

Risa beamed, clearly flattered by his genuine praise. She hadn't been sure what to make of Fujimoto's 'Oceanography student' but Haku seemed no more than a nicely adjusted, polite young man. He was a tad on the serious side, but that only served to throw into relief his attractiveness rather than the opposite. What would her old man say, if he saw her ogling a boy half her age? That husband of hers would probably insensitively remind her that she wasn't getting any younger. She smiled fondly. A hand tugged on her sleeve.

It was Sousuke, requesting that she passed the cheese.

Her son had been awfully subdued however, and so far all her attempts had failed to elicit any response from him beyond a meek "It's nothing". She ruffled his hair and smiled when he ducked, a small protesting scowl forming even as he hastily squirreled the cheese powder away under the table lest she tried to confiscate it. If Risa were to put a point to where it seemed to have began, it would be the trip to the cliff side park. The world of spirits wasn't about to frighten Sousuke though. He'd seen too much. Yet, the moment Haku had entered their house, he'd retreated into himself, and while Chihiro had gone up to shower and change, he'd made no move to try and make their guest more comfortable. Instead, he'd taken to sitting at the furthest corner of the sofa and ignoring Haku pointedly. Risa hoped it was just nerves. Sousuke was an unusually sensitive boy but he was cautious too and it was probably for the best that she watched first. There were other concerns as well.

For instance, neither her son nor Haku it seemed, had observed the faint blush that coloured Chihiro's cheeks when she had introduced the latter to her and they were halfway through the salad when Chihiro reappeared from her bath. She was wearing a white cotton top trimmed with a satin ribbon the colour of the summer sky, her blush intact as she sat down on Haku's right - and the only available chair. It was the nicest thing Risa had seen her guest in so far and she smirked.

"What did I miss?" Chihiro asked.

"We had just started," Risa replied, smiling as she gestured at the food piled on the table. "I was just about to ask Haku how his studies are progressing."

Her gaze shifted sharply to gauge his reaction. The young man glanced briefly back, at once watchful. He seemed to be weighing his answer.

"Not as well as expected," he admitted at last, deciding he had nothing to lose in being honest.

Risa nodded knowingly. "That happens to the best of us," she replied. "And should you need it, we won't hesitate to help, right?"

"Right," Sousuke mumbled, looking down. His mother frowned at him but didn't press the issue. The atmosphere in the room had chilled somewhat and she waved a hand as if dispelling the gloom.

"Right now, Chihiro, do you mind helping me prepare the dessert?" she asked and threw her son a look. _Whatever it is, deal with it now_, her expression indicated. Chihiro glanced back and forth between the two of them and got up silently. She nodded at Haku, the faint blush returning before following her to the kitchen where a tray of dessert cups stood, polished and glittering invitingly. Indicating them, Risa smiled. "Lots to do while they talk," she said. "Shall we get the sorbet ready?"

Sousuke hadn't been pleased when Haku had arrived but now stuck alone with him, he felt even more awkward as he sat at the table with no more than the flimsy barrier of empty plates stacked between the two of them. He seized up Haku. Obviously the older of the two of them, Haku gazed back, unembarrassed. Sousuke however was not like most children and he merely held Haku's gaze.

"That day... you rescued Ponyo didn't you?" he demanded, knowing it sounded rude but reluctant to beat around the bush.

Haku's eyebrow lifted. "Yes."

"Good." Sousuke looked down for a moment at his own hands which he had clasped loosely on his lap. Haku waited. The young boy seemed to be struggling with some internal dilemma.

"You _will_ take care of her right? If... because if I can't..."

"Of-of course," Haku said, baffled. He'd been expecting to be lectured instead. Sousuke looked glummer than ever.

"Right."

They lapsed into an awkward silence. Haku wondered if he was expected to say anything when Sousuke looked up suddenly and glared at him fiercely. "And if I hear you have been bullying her, I'll..."

Haku stood up, arms raised defensively. Of all the things he'd been expecting, this was not quite exactly it. "Wait a minute," he said slowly, and such was the way he said it that Sousuke, who'd also leapt to his feet sat back down reluctantly. "I just want to make things clear. Do you think I am in love with Ponyo-chan?"

Sousuke paled. It was obvious from his reaction that he did and Haku chuckled. So here was the reason for the boy's coldness to his person.

"I'm not in love with Ponyo," he clarified. "She's... quite the handful - but nice," he added quickly when Sousuke's face darkened again. He shook his head and smiled. "Was this why you've been treating me as if I were an enemy?"

Sousuke nodded again. "I want to take care of her, but... there are some things I can't do yet."

For the first time in his presence, Sousuke seemed to curl into himself, smaller and Haku found himself remembering that though older than his years, he was still a child. Haku's eyes creased in understanding. In this matter they were equals. Looking into Sousuke's eyes, he felt he had been there before. "I'll protect her, so long as it is within my power to do so," he said, laying a hand on Sousuke's arm so that he knew he meant it.

Sousuke's eyes widened and Haku grinned. "Don't worry. I can assure you that I have and shall only view her as I would a little sister."

"Oh." The relief was unmistakable in Sousuke's voice. Relaxing, he finally dug into the last of his spaghetti (which had remained untouched). Chewing thoughtfully, he glanced once at the open doorway to the kitchen. Ascertaining that there was no immediate danger from that corner, he leaned forward earnestly. Intrigued, Haku moved closer as well.

"So, is Chihiro-san your type then?" he asked with what appeared to be apparent seriousness.

Haku's grin faded. "Excuse me?"

Their conversation was interrupted by Chihiro, who'd stepped out of the kitchen bearing a tray with sorbet cups. Abandoning his food, Sousuke, who'd visibly perked up, darted over to help her. Risa, who'd been following closely behind winked at Haku before admonishing her son. "Finish your food first," she scolded as Sousuke scurried away with one of the sorbets. With an amused sigh, she hurried after the boy, leaving him alone in the kitchen with Chihiro. Still shell-shocked, Haku was still staring at the boy when Chihiro pressed a pile of empty dishes into his hands. "Do you mind helping?" she asked before turning away to set out the dessert and coffee. Glancing at her furtively, he rather fancied that she seemed prettier than usual. Was it that she was wearing his colours or the way the strands of hair that had escaped her loose ponytail clung attractively to her neck... Risa coughed. "Finished?" she enquired with a smirk at him. Caught mid-stare, Haku could only smile wryly. "Just started," he said and decided to throw caution to the wind. Acutely aware that Risa was still looking at him expectantly, he turned to Chihiro and steadied himself.

"I have something to say to you," he said.

Chihiro tilted her head quizzically and then realisation blossomed on her face. "Oh. Er..."

"It's nothing much," Haku added rapidly. "Just that... would you like to come out to the cafe again... say... the following day?"

Chihiro grinned.

It was Risa's chuckle that reminded them that they were not alone.

"Ah, youth..." she sighed wistfully when they both turned as one to look at her.

"...Hai?" Haku enquired suspiciously. He'd expected she'd react like this.

Still grinning, she waved airily. "It's nothing. Just a bit of love in the air," she replied mischievously.

* * *

Wrapped in a happy bubble, Haku had walked to the end of the cove below the cafe before he realised that he had heard Akihi's voice. It hadn't been addressed to him however and Haku leaned curiously over the parapet to look. Down below, amongst the crashing waves stood the fire spirit, his pale blond hair lashing wildly against the dark sea spray. He had a haunted look on his face. However, what chilled Haku was not so much his expression but that Akihi seemed to be speaking to the thin air itself.

"And I'm telling you, I will work on it."

There was a pause, as if Akihi was listening to a reply. Straining, Haku looked but he couldn't see whatever it was. There was no way to get closer either without being spotted, nor did Haku think his presence would be much relished in the situation even if he did manage to scramble down without being seen or heard. The wind roared, sending dark water crashing against the sky. In that split second, silhouetted against the fine moonlit mist, he glimpsed the shadowy figure of a child emerging from behind a rock. Turning ever so slightly, it appeared to gaze at him with burning eyes.

"Who's there?" Akihi snapped, his voice biting cold and sharp.

Startled, Haku stepped back and nearly tripped on his own feet. What manner of creature was Akihi speaking to? Somehow, he suspected he'd met it before, though he'd be hard put to say _where_, especially considering how the hatred that was emanating from it wasn't something anyone would find forgettable. Filled with unease, he hunkered down under the shadow of the concrete as Akihi burst overhead in a roar of flames.

_Who, or what in the name of the gods was happening in this little town?_


End file.
